WEDNESDAY | 20

Town Center Visioning Public Hearing: 6:30-9 p.m., West Mercer Elementary School, 4141 81 Ave. SE. This hearing is focused on four Town Center topics: vision, building heights, building setbacks and massing and affordable housing. Future hearings scheduled in March will focus on additional topics including streetscapes, retail, incentives, architectural standards, parking and open space.

THURSDAY | 21

Open Space Conservancy Trust: 6-8 p.m., City Council Chambers, 9611 SE 36th St. Regular meetings are held on the third Thursday of alternating months unless otherwise posted. For more, contact Deborah Alexander at deborah.alexander@mercergov.org.

Mercer Island Radio Operator Meeting: 7-8:30 p.m., North Fire Station, 3030 78th Ave. SE. Join the Mercer Island Radio Operators (MIRO) for training on how to communicate in emergency situations. For more, go to the MIRO website at http://mirohams.org or contact Officer Jennifer Franklin at 206-275-7905.

FRIDAY | 22

2016 City Council Planning Session: Jan. 22-23, Calkins Room at Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St. The annual planning session will take place on Friday from 3–6:15 p.m. and 7:30–8 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Grand Opening of Dynamic Balance Natural Health and Wagner Family Medicine: 5-8 p.m., Bassi Jones Building, 7834 SE 32nd St., Suite 203. Join Melony Cable (licensed acupuncturist and East Asian medical practitioner) and Laura Wagner (naturopathic doctor and massage therapist) at their grand opening on Mercer Island. Learn about new health and wellness options available on Mercer Island while enjoying a glass of wine or beer, hor d’oeuvres and fabulous door prizes. Free. For more, visit www.dbnaturalhealth.com.

SATURDAY | 23

First Aid and Adult CPR: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Main Fire Station, 3030 78th Ave. SE. Sign up online at MyParksandRecreation.com or via telephone at 206-275-7847. Cost is $55. For more, contact Jolene Judd at 206-275-7607.

MIPA’s 17th Annual Preschool Fair: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St. Representatives from various programs on the Island will be on hand to answer your questions about their curriculum, enrollment, tuition and program options. The fair is free and open to all interested parents and caregivers.

SUNDAY | 24

Family and Kid Yoga: 1:15 and 2:45 p.m., Yogabliss, 7803 SE 27th St., No. 174. Spend time with your family exploring yoga together. Class participants will get lots of movement, have fun learning about yoga poses  and find time to relax and find calmness. Class at 1:15 p.m. is best suited for ages 4-10; class at 2:45 p.m. is best suited for ages 9-14. Cost is $25 for one adult and one child; $35/family equals two adults and two children; additional $5 per child. For more, visit www.yogabliss.org.

MONDAY | 25

MI Library Board Regular Meeting: 6-7:30 p.m., Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave. SE. Held on the fourth Monday of the month unless otherwise posted. Contact Bruce Fletcher at bruce.fletcher@mercergov.org for more.

WEDNESDAY | 27

Town Center Visioning Joint Commission Meeting: 6-9 p.m., City Hall, 9611 SE 36th St. The Planning and Design commissions are convening together as the “Joint Commission” for the next phase of recommendations for actual Town Center development code language and directly-related updates to the city’s Comprehensive Plan. This is a working meeting and will not take public comment. Interested residents may use the Town Center Visioning online form to submit comments.

THURSDAY | 28

Emergency Volunteer Lead Quarterly Meeting: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers, 9611 SE 36th St. Meetings consist of team leads from the following committees, but all interested emergency volunteers are welcome to attend: Disaster Medical, Search and Rescue, Shelter, Mental Health, Child Care, Senior Care, Animal Shelter, Emergency Well Operation, Damage Assessment, Communications, Resource Acquisition, Transportation, Administration, Faith Community, Business Liaison, Neighborhood Preparedness, food preparation for shelters.

School Board Regular Meeting: 7 p.m., City Council Chambers, 9611 SE 36th St. Agenda can be found at mercerislandschools.org.

EVENTS | LIBRARY

Children and Families

Science Fun for Little Ones – Sensational Shapes: 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 21. Shapes are the building blocks to so many things. Experiment with how shapes can change when they are mixed together, flipped around or enlarged. Get ready to explore all sides of shapes and play in a world of imagination. Ages 2 to 6 with adult. Registration not required, but space is limited.

Play and Learn: 10:30 a.m., Wednesdays, Jan. 20-27. Have fun singing songs, telling stories, reading books, creating art and playing. Ages 5 and younger with adult.

Science Fun for Little Ones – Traveling Sounds: 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 28. Explore sound and how it travels as the group discovers music and create together. Participants will watch as sound travels in waves and listen as it travels up and around many different objects. Ages 4 to 6 with adult. Registration not required, but space is limited.

Teens

Jump Start Your Creativity: 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23. Have you secretly dreamed of sharing your thoughts, experiences, emotions and fears? Believe it or not, we are all writers. Explore your hidden talents using a variety of creative writing techniques. Share the power of words with a local poet.

Study Zone: 3:30 p.m., Thursdays, grades K-12. Drop in for free homework help from trained volunteer tutors. Proofreading help is available. Check at the desk for location.

Adults

Talk Time: 1 p.m., Mondays. Improve your speaking and listening skills in this English conversation group. Learn more about American culture and meet people from around the world. Registration not required. Walk-ins welcome.

Friends of the Mercer Island Library Meeting: 3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21.

EVENTS | SJCC

Baking Borekas – Sephardic Delicacies: 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 24. Potato, rice, spinach, eggplant, pumpkin — what do they all have in common? Borekas! Join cookbook author and owner of Seattle-area’s Rachel’s Sephardic Delicacies, Rachel Almeleh, for a lesson on mastering the art of the perfect boreka. $10-15.

Advance Film Screening “Remember”: 7-9 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 26. “Remember” tells the story of Zev Guttman (Christopher Plummer), a 90-year-old struggling with memory loss and living out his final years in a serene retirement home. When he suddenly gets a mysterious package containing a stack of money and a letter detailing a shocking plan from his close friend and fellow prisoner in Auschwitz (Martin Landau), Zev embarks on a twisty, cross-continental road-trip to bring justice to the man who destroyed both their lives. Free.

Mommy Matters: 10-11:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Jan. 26-March 29. Mommy Matters is an opportunity for moms to get support and learn about what matters most as your child moves through the toddler and preschool years. Mommy Matters blends love and logic parenting, positive discipline and Gottman principles with personal coaching. Contact instructor Melissa Benaroya for more information and to register, melissa@growparenting.com.

Listening Mothers: 10 a.m. – noon, Wednesdays, Jan. 20-March 9. This eight-week series offers a unique opportunity for parents of babies, birth through six months of age, to discover the joys of parenting. For more information or to register, visit www.communityofmindfulparenting.com or call 206-275-0104.

Tween Fitness, Ages 9-13: 3:45-4:45 p.m., Wednesdays. Kids will learn to use bands, balls and their own body weight to work on cardiovascular and weight training as well as balance, stability and stretching. Free for members, $10 for guests. For more, visit www.sjcc.org.

SJCC Early Childhood School Open House: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 21. The SJCC Early Childhood School is a school of excellence rooted in Jewish values, with a curriculum inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Learn more about the school’s curriculum, visit their classrooms and meet the teachers. RSVP for an open house. New family registration for the 2016-17 school year begins Wednesday, Feb. 11.

EVENTS | MICEC

Captain’s License Training: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 8-19. Getting your Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel and Master 100 Ton license is an important step in earning industry-wide distinction as a maritime professional, and for many pursuits afloat, is also a legal requirement. Tuition includes all course materials, nautical charts, student workbooks, navigation tools and reference materials. United States Coast Guard examinations are administered in class at no additional cost, and Flagship’s exclusive credentialing service is included. For more, visit www.flagshipmaritimellc.com.

EVENTS | UPCOMING

Win a Basket à la Française: To learn about Mercer Island’s sister city of Thonon-les-Bains in France and sign up for membership, visit www.mercerislandsistercity.org. All who enroll for membership by Jan. 31 will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a Basket à la Française. For more information, call Linda Todd at 206-232-4570 or Pat Shafer at 206-714-5830.

MIHS Drama Presents ‘Arthur Miller’s Playing For Time’: 7-9 p.m., Jan. 28-30, Feb. 4-6, Mercer Island High School, 9100 SE 42nd St. Based on a true story, this play follows the harrowing journey of French opera singer Fania Fenelon, who survives Auschwitz by singing and playing in an orchestra alongside other female prisoners. $10 pre-sale tickets can be purchased online or from cast members. $15 at the door, $5 senior tickets.

Probus Club Meeting: 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 3, Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Ave. SE. Jeb Wyman will speak on the topic, “Ordinary Soldiers: Stories of Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.” Open to the public.

French Film “Lola Montes”: 6:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5, Aljoya, 2430 76th Ave. SE. Hosted by the Mercer Island Sister City Association, the Mercer Island Arts Council and Aljoya, with a complimentary wine and cheese reception before the film. Lance Rhodes, a featured scholar in the Humanities Washington’s Speakers Bureau, will provide introduction and post commentary for the film. The film will be in French with English subtitles. Free to the public.

MIYFS annual Giving From the Heart breakfast: 7-8:30 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 10, Mercer Island Community and Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St. An annual fundraiser celebrating the services provided by the city’s Youth and Family Services department (MIYFS). Honorary co-chairs Sandy and Ken Glass welcome all Islanders (and friends) to attend the 14th annual breakfast, learn about MIYFS and make a donation to support future programming. Register at www.miyfs.org or by calling 206-275-7756.