Sunset after a warm day

Thursday, February 5, 2026

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

A beautiful day, followed by a beautiful sunset.



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School board members and students meet with legislators in Olympia to talk about school funding

Shoreline School Board members, Superintendent, and students in Olympia

Shoreline School Board President Gil, Vice President Betnel, student representatives, and Superintendent Reyes went to Olympia to meet with our local elected officials.

Representatives Lauren Davis, Cindy Ryu, and Shelley Kloba, and Senator Jesse Salomon warmly welcomed visitors during Advocacy Day in Olympia. 

Students were an important part of the delegation

Students, Izzy Frain, Paige Eaton, Iris Peters, and Nina Vermillion led the way in meetings with legislators! 

They were firm and confident in sharing information, data, and most importantly, stories about the critical importance of sufficient funding for schools and the direct impact on students.

Sen. Jesse Salomon meeting with delegates
Shoreline School Board Legislative Priorities for 2026:
  • Mental Health and Social-Emotional Wellbeing
  • Universal Free School Meals
  • Adequate Materials, Supplies, and Operating Costs (MSOC) Funding
  • Sustain Current Investment in Schools
  • No Unfunded Mandates

Rep. Lauren Davis, center front with the delegation

We are grateful for and proud of our advocates who called upon legislators to fulfill the paramount duty of the state of Washington: to fully fund public education!

Rep Cindy Ryu with Shoreline delegation

Photos courtesy Shoreline Schools


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Ridgecrest Neighborhood to honor long-time board member Patty Hale

Patty Hale
The Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association would like to share an important update and a moment of deep appreciation. 

Our longest‑tenured board member, Patty Hale, stepped down in January from the RNA Board of Directors after decades of extraordinary service to our neighborhood (and after leading a successful food drive!).

Patty has been part of Ridgecrest’s story since its earliest days and was involved with RNA at its founding. 

Many of the traditions and landmarks we now cherish exist because of Patty’s vision and persistence. Patty’s steady presence, institutional memory, and deep care for the neighborhood have helped shape who we are today.

Thank you, Patty🥰🩷🏘️

📅Please join us at the neighbor meetup from 7-9pm on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at the Ridgecrest Pub to share your memories and gratitude for Patty and her contributions.


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Shoreline College raises Black American Heritage Flag

Photo courtesy Shoreline College

On Monday, the Shoreline College campus came together to raise the Black American Heritage Flag for the first time in recognition of Black History Month.

The Black American Heritage Flag honors the culture and history of African American people in the United States. Its colors and symbols were created to instill pride and serve as a symbol of hope in the ongoing pursuit of civil rights and equity.

Monday's flag raising featuring Shoreline students and employees as we celebrate this important moment in our history. Photo courtesy Shoreline College.

Thank you to all who joined us and the next time you are on campus near the 1000 Building, take a moment to check it out!



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For the Birds: Birds Announce the Season is Changing

Bewick's Wren. Photo by Craig Kerns
By Christine Southwick

Increased daylight triggers territorial songs (and migrations).

A male Song Sparrow, that streaky sparrow in low bushes and open trees, is in my yard declaring his territory and availability for partners (nearby Song Sparrows are also protecting their areas) by singing his 9 to 20 different songs (females seem to like males with a large repertoire).

Interesting fact: New studies have found that male Song Sparrows from the coast level of Washington start breeding two months earlier than Song Sparrows in the nearby mountains. 

Song Sparrow
Photo by Christine Southwick
Song Sparrows
often lay two broods per breeding season. Song Sparrow pairs search for nest sites together and frequently nest on the ground close to houses.

Bewick’s Wrens are also making their songs and scolding sounds, so that all know the occupied boundaries. Competing males broadcast their songs and harsh calls toward each other. Both males may continue to occupy their respective territories.

We in the western part of the US have resident Bewick’s Wrens, but they have disappeared east of the Mississippi River, with the House Wren believed to have outcompeted and replaced Bewick’s Wrens.

Bewick's Wren entering hidden nest box
Photo by Christine Southwick
Bewick’s Wrens like nesting near houses, garages, hose bibs and other out-of-sight places, often in unexpected places. They will also sometimes use nest boxes

Oregon Juncos (our subspecies of the Dark-eyed Juncos) make their nests, usually of grasses and dried pine needles on the ground behind clumps of tall grass, weeds, or especially ferns (so don’t be clearing these clumps of weeds in March).

Male Oregon Junco
Photo by Christine Southwick
Anna’s Hummingbird
s males have started inviting females to their male-dominated feeders. 

Watch for the females to be collecting nest materials like raw cotton fibers and hairs to build their nests, with spider webbing to bind everything together and allow it to expand as the youngsters grow. 

Observers could see juvenile hummers at feeders (Anna’s juveniles have short bills because they finish growing the length of their bills after leaving their small nests).

Black-capped Chickadee and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, year-round residents, don’t usually start nesting until next month, but I have seen a pair checking out the frequently-used nest box.

Red-breasted Nuthatches (rarely use boxes) and Bushtits seem to be content to eat suet. They wait until later to produce offspring.

Suet is good fast healthy food that birds appreciate, and that can be an important energy source, especially in cold times. Keep your birdbath water liquid and clean.

Grab a hot beverage and watch your local birds-it will bring a smile to your face—a much needed commodity.


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Eagle Scout Project: Little Free Music Library at Third Place Commons

Araya Trujillo with her Little Free Music Library at Third Place Commons

Check out this wonderful story by @knkx885 reporter (and LFP Native!) Alexa Peters about a Little Free Music Library that Nathan Hale senior Araya Trujillo built as her Eagle Scout project. 

The Library is housed at Third Place Commons. Music is meant to be shared - come see Araya’s hard work in person and bring your tapes, CDs and records to share with others!

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Op-Ed: Two wrongs don't make a right

Do the Right Thing and Vote Yes for Both SSD Levies for Shoreline and LFP Students

By Malorie Larson

Reminder: Ballots are due Tuesday February 10th by 8pm. Please use a ballot box to avoid USPS post marking delays and ensure your vote counts! The Washington Secretary of State's Office cautions voters: Do not use a mailbox within 7-10 days of the election due to recent USPS rule changes.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. We learned this in elementary school. Yes, the state is negligent in their primary duty to fully fund K-12 education in Washington State. However, also failing to support the local replacement EP&O and technology levies only hurts our community’s children and sends a message to them that their friends, families, and neighbors aren’t willing to invest in them.

Even a replacement levy proposition with a lower dollar figure puts the district in the position to make impossible choices:

Do they increase class sizes to unmanageable levels that decreases the quality of student learning and sends our veteran, highly qualified teachers to nearby school districts?

Do they cut supports for students and families such as deans of students, security staff, counselors, family advocates, and/or full-time school nurses? This, at a time when members of our community are fearing for their safety, experiencing food insecurity, and “COVID kids” are coming to school with more behavioral needs than ever before?

Do they cut athletics, arts, or other extracurricular activities? These are the things that augment the Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic that make students whole, keep them engaged in their schooling, and attract homebuyers and other families to the Shoreline School District.

Do they continue educating students in 2030 with literacy curriculum from the early 2000s, rather than giving our children modern, research-based instruction that benefits not only their short-term educational needs but their long-term success in accessing information, communicating, and thinking critically about information they receive?

Do the right thing: vote yes for the replacement EP&O and technology levies AND contact your legislators to advocate for better education funding for students in Shoreline schools and across Washington State.


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City of Lake Forest Park receives $2 million in federal funding for planned Community Center

Location for new LFP Community Center

City of Lake Forest Park Receives $2 million in federal funding for planned Community Center

This funding, sponsored by Representative Jayapal with the support of Senators Murray and Cantwell, provides needed dollars to support the construction of a Community Center at the city’s planned lakefront park. 

The City of Lake Forest Park acquired two parcels, totaling 1.91-acres, on the shores of Lake Washington. This land is located near the Town Center, Burke-Gilman Trail, and adjacent to the scenic Lyon Creek Waterfront Preserve. 

This community center, scheduled to open to the public in 2027, will provide much needed meeting space for the use of the community’s non-profits and various community groups and members.

"The Lakefront Community Center project will provide multiple indoor and outdoor community gathering spaces that currently don’t exist in the City,” remarked Lake Forest Park Mayor Tom French.
“This project allows the City to partner with community groups and provide spaces for nature, art, educational opportunities and low-impact recreation right on the shore of Lake Washington. The project is adjacent to the Burke Gilman Trail and will be a boon for everyone in our community.
"We couldn’t have completed the project without the federal funding sponsored by Representative Jayapal with the support of Senators Murray and Cantwell."

The site is located at 17345 and 17347 Beach Drive next to the Lyon Creek Waterfront Preserve and just north of Town Center.


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Valentine cookies and crafts event for kids February 7, 2026

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Photo by Kevin Donovan/Copperworks Distilling Co.

Kids’ Valentine Cookie Decorating + Crafts 

Saturday, February 7, 2026 from 11am –2pmM

Bring the kids for a little pre‑Valentine’s joy! Copperworks teams up with De La Soil to offer heart‑shaped cookies and take‑home crafts.

This event is free to attend! RSVP here

Copperworks Kenmore, 7324 NE 175th St, Kenmore, WA 98028. Located directly on the Burke‑Gilman bike trail.


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Recordings from recent local events with Congresswoman Jayapal

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal was in town during the recent congressional break and took the opportunity to hold local events.


Congresswoman Jayapal speaking at her January Town Hall.

In January, she hosted her first town hall of the year, and her 127th town hall since coming to Congress. 

"There is so much fear in our community as ICE and Border Patrol continue their deadly assault on cities across this country. So many folks showed up to express their concern and learn more about how each of us can work to protect our democracy and our neighbors. Thank you to everyone who joined and made their voices heard."

Watch the Town Hall event here.

Congresswoman Jayapal speaking at her field hearing on corporate consolidation and rising food prices.

She hosted a field hearing this week titled: From Farm to Kitchen Table: How Consolidation Spikes Food Prices

"For this hearing, where we discussed how corporate consolidation is raising prices throughout our food chain, I brought together multiple Members of Congress, Governor Ferguson, and Seattle Deputy Mayor Surratt to hear from a panel of witnesses. 

"From farms to grocery store shelves — corporations have merged throughout years, meaning only a handful of corporate CEOs control almost every aspect of the food we eat. 

"And that is hurting farmers, local businesses, and consumers. 

"During the hearing, we heard from a farmer, an independent grocer, a small business owner, an antitrust expert, and community members who shared their experiences. 

"I am committed to taking on the root causes of the ridiculously high costs we are all seeing for our groceries as a co-chair of the Monopoly Busters Caucus, because food should be affordable and accessible to every single American."

Follow Rep. Jayapal on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Threads.


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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Growth Hormone




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ShoreLake Arts: Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold sewing her story quilts

Happy Black History Month from ShoreLake Arts! 

Continuing the thread of Black narrative artists and the impacts of the Harlem Renaissance on the art world, meet Faith Ringgold (1930-2024).

Faith Ringgold began as a painter but is perhaps more well known for her storytelling quilts depicting Black cultural heritage, identity, and experiences. 

Faith learned to sew from her talented fashion designer mom, actually making her first quilt with her mom. Impressive jeans...er...genes!

Her bond with family is evident in her 1991 Caldecott Honor children's book "Tar Beach". Have you read it? If not, here's a link so you can hear Faith, herself, reading her book about an 8yo girl who daydreams from her apartment rooftop, soaring to new heights.
 
We hope you'll read more about Faith Ringgold and explore her artwork.


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What’s Happening This Week in Shoreline? – February 4 -10

By Kate Ledbetter, www.DestinationShoreline.com

What’s Happening This Week in Shoreline? – February 4 -10
Shoreline’s week ahead is a great mix of heart, creativity, learning, and connection. From hands-on Valentine’s crafting and honoring local veterans to stargazing, wine tastings, gardening tips, live jazz, and neighborhood meetups, there are plenty of ways to show up for your community and have some fun along the way. Don’t miss the new What’s Up Next Section, a look ahead at upcoming events.
 
Destination Shoreline’s Must-Attend Events of the Week:
Valentine’s Day Card Workshop at Salvation Collective
Friday, February 6, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Come creative with us and make a keepsake in time for the most romantic made up holiday in America!
 
Heroes Café-Shoreline
Tuesday, February 10, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Coffee (Starbucks) and Pastries (WaFd Bank) will be available at 9:00 am with Lunch provided by Laurel Cove Community at 11:30 am. A Veteran program will start at 10:00 am with a Formal Opening, Flag Salute and POW/MIA Flag Placement and February Birthdays Acknowledged. Tennis de Jong, US Marine, will describe his coast-to-coast road trip delivering portraits to Fallen Heroes Families drawn by Michael Reagan, US Marine, of the Fallen Heroes Project (https://www.fallenheroesproject.org). Veterans, Family, Friends and the Community are Welcome. Heroes Café–Shoreline is the largest gathering of Veterans on a monthly basis in King County. Unique among Veteran Organizations is that there is nothing to join, You Just Show Up!
 
Shoreline Area Events You Should Know About this Week:
(Follow the event links for additional information, directions, and add to your calendar links.)
 
Financial Literacy Month - Power of Budgeting
Wednesday, February 4 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Third Place Commons
 
Thursday, February 5 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Shoreline/LFP Senior Activity Center

Sleep Better Webinar
Saturday, February 7 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM, Virtual

Connection | Weekly Psychic & Intuitive Experience
Saturday, February 7 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Salvation: Artist Collective
 
Ballinger Thriftway Bayernmore Winery Stanwood WA Tasting!
Saturday, February 7 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Paramount Park

🍭 Grown-Up & Me Dance: Candy Land 🍭
Saturday, February 7 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Shoreline Masonic Center
 
Tomato Growing Success: From Seed to Harvest
Sunday, February 8 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Shoreline Tool Library

Tuesday, February 10 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church
 
Ridgecrest Neighbor Meet Up at Ridgecrest Public House
Tuesday, February 10 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Ridgecrest Public House
 
What’s Up Next in Shoreline (Save the Date):
(Follow the event links for additional information, directions, and add to your calendar links.)
 
Community Workshop: Shoreline North/185th Street Light Rail Station Subarea
Wednesday, February 11 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Spartan Recreation Center

Urbanist Shoreline Happy Hour
Tuesday, February 12 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Ridgecrest Public House

Rainbow Bingo
Friday, February 13 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM, Shoreline/LFP Senior Activity Center
 
Valentine’s Crafts & Cookies (Free Kids’ Event!)
Saturday, February 14 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Town & Country Market Shoreline
 
For Upcoming Events in Shoreline visit: DestinationShoreline.com/Calendar
 
Destination Shoreline is brought to you by Kate Ledbetter, Real Estate Broker with Windermere Real Estate/Shoreline, Front Door Creative, Success Minded Leader, Bri Crow Creative, Phases Clinic, Become a Destination Shoreline Partner, learn more here


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Syre Elementary Chess Club wins 4th place at 2026 Medina All City Chess Tournament

Syre Chess Club with coach Walter Guity - and their trophy
Photo courtesy Syre PTA

Congratulations to the Syre Elementary Chess Club for winning 4th place at the 2026 Medina All City Chess Tournament last weekend! 

Eight students represented the club, which meets weekly as part of the PTA's enrichment program.

Coach Walter Guity was overjoyed. 

"The pure joy, excitement and camaraderie the team shared when they won was truly unforgettable," he said.

Way to go, Wildcats!!


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Seahawks pop-up in the heart of Shoreline


Photos by David Carlos

David Carlos photographed a Seahawks pop-up at the gas station on the corner of 175th and Aurora. They have everything you need to get ready for the big game - clothes and swag.

Shirts, hats, gloves

The Superbowl is this Sunday, February 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, California against the New England Patriots.

Fun stuff

Note to readers: where can the game be watched locally? Let me know and I'll publish a list.

Flags

And you have to have something to wave!


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Lunar New Year story time with Hua Zhang at the Shoreline Library February 18, 2026

Celebrate Lunar New Year with a Story Time presented in Mandarin.



中文家庭故事会
Mandarin Story Time - Lunar New Year!

Family program, all ages welcome.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 from 1:00-2:00pm

中文故事时间!! 欢迎大家来了解华人最盛大的节日:农历新年。
家庭活动计划,老少咸宜。
欣赏故事、音乐、动作和韵律,提高孩子的早期识字能力。

Hua Zhang

我们会按要求为残疾人提供合理的便利设施。参与在线活动时,如需ASL口译服务、字幕服务以及(或者)其他便利设施,请在活动开始前至少7天联系图书馆。请发送请求至access@kcls.org.

Enjoy stories, music, movement and rhymes. We will also share a New Year lion dance!

Sponsored by the Friends of the Shoreline Library.
Shoreline Library 345 NE 175th St
206-362-7550
Registration not required.


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New American Flag at Gateway Business Center

Veterans raise the new flag at Gateway Plaza
Photo by RB White

By Doug Cerretti

For many years members of the Starr S. Sutherland, Jr Post 227 of The American Legion in Shoreline have maintained the American Flag at Gateway Plaza, 18400 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline WA by lowering the flag to half-staff when required. 

Flying American flags at half-staff is a symbol of national mourning. This happens whenever a major death, tragic event, or day of remembrance occurs. For example, Memorial Day is a national holiday that commemorates members of the military who have fallen serving their country.

The crew included a 'future veteran"
Photo by RB White

One day, Post 227 member Richard Christiansen noticed that the flag was well used and needed replacement. Post 227 Commander Charles Grenard contacted Gina Roma, property manager at Wood Commercial Real Estate, the owners of Gateway. 

Gina ordered a replacement 10’ x 15’ flag. When it arrived, Charles called upon fellow Post members to help raise the new flag. We also called upon a potential veteran of almost 3 years of age.

Photo by RB White

Once the flag was attached to the pole, we stood in line and saluted as the new flag was raised, including the potential veteran. It should be noted that well used American Flags are not disposed of, THEY ARE RETIRED. Please look forward to an upcoming article in Shoreline Area News on the proper way to retire the Stars and Stripes.


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Letter to the Editor: Extreme to claim that a single drink would doom an average person into a DUI

The blood alcohol limit for drunk driving in Washington would drop to 0.05% from 0.08%, under a bill the state Senate approved on a 26-23 vote Wednesday. If the bill clears the House and the governor signs it, Washington would join Utah with the nation's strictest DUI standard. --Washington State Standard


To the Editor:

In regards to the recent opinion letter, "Lowering the blood alcohol content punishes the wrong people," I world strongly urge people not to be fooled by exaggeration. Declaring that lowering the blood alcohol limit to 0.05 from 0.08 will "punish the wrong people" is hyperbolic at best and a falsehood at worst.

The claim that a single drink might cause "life-altering consequences" seemed a bit extreme of an assertion to me, so I spent a little time (about 15 minutes) hunting down some additional information on the topic. Granted, in this day and age, it's strangely both easier and more difficult to do research for yourself, due to both the ease of informational access and the preponderance of misinformation. However, with more careful searching of information in credited articles (and avoiding overly brief AI summarizations), I found multiple charts across institutions in law, science, and academics that all supported a table that said that most likely, the only person whose blood alcohol content would spike to 0.05 within one drink would be only about 100 pounds!

I will mention that there is the repeated assertion in all these sources that the table is not one-size-fits-all, that factors like age and speed of metabolism can affect an individual's blood alcohol levels, but it still seems an extreme - and largely incorrect - claim that a single drink would doom the average person into a DUI.

Additionally, a claim that this might damage the hospitality industry as a whole is drastically oversimplifying the issue, especially in light of modern trends leaning away from drinking alcohol. Mocktails and non-alcoholic beers and wines are becoming common - and having a glass of water isn't going to kill one's enjoyment of a meal! The only situation I can think of that's directly impacted by a reduction in drinking alcohol is a place that relies on sales of it, such as a bar - in which case, people should already be practicing safer methods such as a designated driver, or taking one of the increasingly common and reliable methods of mass transit.

Another thing I found in my brief investigation of this matter was a good deal of accompanying studies about how changing the limit of blood alcohol from 0.08 to 0.05 has proven to save lives. If we can go on and on about how critical the speed limit on Ballinger and the traffic cameras along 178th Street are, if there's that level of concern about our neighborhoods, why not other streets, and highways? Why restrict our concern for others to the area outside our front doors? It seems the height of privilege to me to grandly claim that businesses will be negatively affected in some vague fashion - and ignore entirely the human cost of those impacted by anyone driving impaired.

I will add that I'm not a paid proponent of this measure, just a concerned citizen. And whatever side folks choose in this, I ask only that they do the research (brief as it is!) and decide for themselves... and, of course, to always drink responsibly.

Annie VanderMeer
Seattle


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Black History Month: Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Pictured here: Jacob Lawrence, The Library, 1960, tempera on fiberboard, 24 x 29 7/8 in. (60.9 x 75.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1969.47.24

Happy Black History Month from ShoreLake Arts!

Do you know about this Seattle power couple? Artists Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence (1913-2005) moved here from New York in the early 70's thanks to the UW offering him a faculty position.

Both with deep ties to the Harlem Renaissance and the 306 workshop group, moving to the PNW had an impact on their art. In turn, their contributions have left enormous legacies in our art community.

Learn more about his work here

Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence (1913-2005) -we'll have to wait until 2075 for her work to hit the public domain.


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Shoreline-Edmonds line - Area residents protest ICE actions


Story and photos by Pamela Mieth

History teaches we must speak out when our government turns authoritarian and starts targeting vulnerable groups or, as German Pastor Martin Niemöller's famous poem reminds us, there may be no one left to speak when it comes for us.

Ongoing news footage from Minnesota and "Let them eat cake" attitudes from Washington, DC, was on the minds of many of the 150 area residents attending this weekend's "Social Justice Sundays" sign-waving at the Shoreline-Edmonds line.


Rain soaked protesters early, but stopped midway through with the sun eventually breaking out. Honking horns and friendly waves were the main interactions of the day, though there were a few thumbs down and one man who said he was a veteran yelled while going in both directions that those gathered didn't understand and were, in fact, "the fascists."

Sign-wavings continue every Sunday in February (remaining Feb. 8, 15, and 22), 1-2pm, at the intersection of Aurora Avenue North and N 205th St. in Shoreline.


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RAINBOW BINGO at the Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center

RAINBOW BINGO at the Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center
Friday, February 13, 2026
6:00pm - 9:00pm

Shoreline/LFP Senior Activity Center

Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center is hosting its monthly RAINBOW BINGO fundraiser with the fabulous Sylvia O’Stayformore on Friday, February 13, 2026—doors open at 6:00pm and games begin at 7:00pm!

Get ready for ten lively rounds of bingo, prizes, and a few musical numbers.

The event takes place at the southernmost building on the Shoreline Center campus 18560 1st Ave NE #1, Shoreline, WA 98155.

Admission is $20 and includes reserved seating, entertainment, and loaded nachos; bingo cards are $10 at the door (cash or check only, per Washington State Gambling Commission).

This is a 21+ event, and the cash bar will be open—get your tickets today!


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