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Sunday, November 30, 2014

City Council Monday meeting includes discussion of 145th Route Development Plan

Shoreline City Council Meeting
Monday, December 1, 2014 – Regular Meeting 7:00pm, City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N.

Agenda Highlights - full agenda

  • Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract Agreement with KPFF for the Design of the 10th Avenue NW Bridge Repairs
  • Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract Agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation to Obligate STP Grant Funds for the 15th Avenue NE Overlay Project
  • Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Construction Contract with Taylor's Excavators, Inc. for the NE 195th Street Separated Trail ProjectMotion to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract with Stewart, MacNichols, Harmell, Inc., P.S. for Primary Public Defense Services
  • Discussion of 145th Route Development Plan – Project Goals and Funding Strategies


185th Subarea - planned action ordinance to be discussed at Planning Commission Thursday

Rezone area
note that it changes with every meeting

The Shoreline Planning Commission will meet on Thursday, December 4, 7-9pm City Hall Council Chamber, 17500 Midvale Ave N to discuss the Planned Action Ordinance for the 185th Subarea.

In Planning Speak:
A planned action is a development project whose impacts have been addressed by an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) associated with a plan for a specific geographic area before individual projects are proposed. A planned action involves detailed SEPA review and preparation of EIS documents in conjunction with sub-area plans, consistent with RCW 43.21C.031and WAC 197-11-164 through WAC 197-11-172. Such up-front analysis of impacts and mitigation measures then facilitates environmental review of subsequent individual development projects.
Exhibits include:

Exhibit A- Map of 185th Street Station Planned Action Area (above)
Exhibit B- Planned Action Mitigation Measures (page 24)
Exhibit C- Development Regulations (page 38)

Future Planning Commission meetings:
  • December 4 - Planned action ordinance and development regulations
  • December 18 - Outstanding Issues for Subarea Plan and Planned Action
  • January 15 - Public Hearing on Development Regulations and Zoning for Subarea
Meeting Documents for December 4

185th Subarea - final environmental impact statement

The full Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 185th Street Station Subarea Plan is now available on the City’s webpage 

A Review Guide that was presented at the last Planning Commission meeting is also available on the webpage, and provides a summary of the full EIS document. 


The Subarea Plan, which includes zoning, and Planned Action Ordinance, which includes Development Code regulations, will be the subject of the December 4 Planning Commission meeting.  


All of these documents will be the subject of a public hearing before the Planning Commission on January 15, 2015 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, then discussed by the Council at their February 9 meeting. Council may adopt the Subarea Plan and Planned Action Ordinance at their February 23 meeting.

The light rail station subarea planning main webpage has more information, or contact Miranda Redinger, Senior Planner, at 206-801-2513 with questions.


There is a citizen's group for the 185th Station Area. It meets the first Monday of each month from 7-8:30pm at Shoreline City Hall Room 301. Email for more information. Facebook page here.

The citizen's committee is not an advocacy group. Its goal is to stay informed on actions related to the 185th Station and Subarea. Members, who are all volunteers, try to attend pertinent meetings and report back to the main group.


A tree fell on Ballinger

Tree on power lines at 190th and Ballinger
Photo by Heather McLaughlin


Here's the tree that caused the problems on Ballinger Way and 190th on Saturday. Besides taking out the power to all the surrounding households, the tree and then the work to repair the lines and restore power meant that bus routes and traffic had to be routed around that section of Ballinger well into the evening hours.

Heather McLaughlin, who took the photo, reports:

According to the SCL website, it originally caused 71 households to be without power, but had gone up to 101 before it was repaired. We walked down to take a look at it and got to meet some of our neighbors. Nothing like a crisis to bring people together. One of the people I spoke with said it happened about 11:45am and that the tree was on fire for a short time after it landed. The fire department was the first to respond to 911 calls and then police to reroute traffic.

The tree has been removed, power restored to all households, and traffic normalized on Ballinger Way. Bus service returned to a normal schedule on Sunday morning.



On the Mayor's Mind - 12-1-2014

Shoreline Mayor
Shari Winstead
On the Mayor’s Mind
By Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead

With Thanksgiving behind us, the first snow fallen, and Christmas just a few weeks away, it seems unusual to have a leisurely Saturday morning.
 
I have to admit that part of the reason I am relaxing is because I had a little mishap and broke my toe – which is not a big deal, except that I have this big orthopedic boot. Going to the gym, a nice long neighborhood walk, or a walk through the trails at Shoreview Park, is more on my “don’t” list than my to-do list. So contrary to my usual habits, I am going to sit inside and reflect on the last few, very busy months in the City.

Last week the City Council passed the City’s budget for 2015, continuing to maintain funding for our citizen’s (and Council’s) services and priorities - public safety and public service. As well, we are preparing for the City’s 20th birthday party in 2015, and yes, we will even see the Aurora project finished next year!

Passing a balanced budget where we continue to fund important services our citizens need, and that will make life in Shoreline even better, is the most important act of the City Council. Over the three months since the proposed budget was presented to the Council, Councilmembers submitted over 100 questions to staff. There is no rubber-stamping of the budget in Shoreline. We dig in, ask questions and offer alternative ideas. We are able to fund what is needed and wanted, but also to keep very healthy reserves in our revenue stabilization and general funds. Shoreline continues to receive Standard and Poor’s AA+ bond rating, something to be proud of!

Also, in the past month, the Council has had the pleasure of meeting with the Shoreline School District Board, the Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees and the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce. We are working hard to strengthen our relationship with these City partners. A number of years ago, you (our citizens) worked hard to write Vision 2029

The opening sentence states: Shoreline in 2029 is a thriving, friendly city where people of all ages, cultures, and economic backgrounds love to live, work, play and, most of all call home.

After meeting with the school district and the community college, it seemed like we missed something important in this statement – the word “learn”. 

Learning has always been critical to our community. Many of us moved here so our kids could get a great education, as well as to continue our education as adults. The school district and the college have long been driving reasons for people to move to Shoreline. With the recent reorganization of sorts of the Chamber of Commerce, I predict that we are about to see a boom in businesses moving to Shoreline. Combine that with the addition of transportation options like Rapid Ride E line, light rail in just 8 or 9 years, and we will see Shoreline become a hustling, bustling place. Our town center and our light rail station areas will offer a variety of housing options, transportation options, shopping options and of course, a great community, filled with interesting neighbors.

So if you are interested in being part of how our City changes, as well as learning about why our City is changing, I encourage you to sign up for Alert Shoreline.

This system will send you notices on your topics of interest (from “light rail planning” to “police alerts”). If you live in the light rail station area, you might consider attending the Planning Commission and Council meetings regarding the proposed changes in the station areas. Here's the website.

January 15th will be the Planning Commission’s public hearing on the 185th Street Station, with the Council discussion on February 9, and adoption scheduled for February 23. The hearings, discussion and adoption of the 145th street station will start in early May.

Enjoy the holidays, your friends and family, and the ability to go for a walk. To quote a friend, “be grateful you’re able”. Nothing could be truer.


Richmond Beach celebrates Thanksgiving with a Mardi Gras-themed run

and they are offffffff!

All photos by Wayne Pridemore

Several hundred people of all ages gathered at Saltwater Park at 8:30am on Thanksgiving morning for the 8th annual Turkey Trot Fun Run.

With a Mardi Gras theme, participants were encouraged to dress (wildly) in costume and run 3.4 miles, or walk 1.6 miles, with the choice of avoiding "Dead Man's Hill" at the end of the course.

Photographer Wayne Pridemore was there and sent in this selection of photos from the event.

Formal portrait before the start


Two great hats
Perfect hat for the occasion
All types, including the Thanksgiving Turkey

A vintage shirt from 2012


Donations far down - Toys for Tots needs help

Toys for Tots has been in
operation for 18 years

The US Marine Corps Toys for Tots program is headquartered in Snohomish County, but the program reaches south to include Shoreline.

Last year they supported 27,000 children. This year requests for their assistance have already exceeded 30,000 children.

The program has seen a 35% drop in the number of businesses/agencies that are collecting donations AND a 25% decline in the donations received each year prior to December 1st.

With the tragedies that have been visited upon our family and friends in 2014, the thought of asking for your assistance is difficult. Yet we find ourselves at the place where we will not be able to honor the requests of so many children without increased support.

Their success is contingent, once again, on the generosity of donors.

Please help us – as you have for the last five years – deliver a symbol of hope to every child that has asked.

For more information contact Mary E. Butler, LCO – T4T, (425) 344-0359, email. Website: Toys for Tots.


Stage 1 burn ban for King county issued Sunday

Due to stagnant weather conditions and rising air pollution, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issued a Stage 1 burn ban for King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, effective at 1PM Sunday, November 30th.

This ban is in effect until further notice.
  
During a Stage 1 burn ban: 
  • No burning is allowed in wood-burning fireplaces, uncertified wood stoves or fireplace inserts. Residents should rely instead on their home's other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
  • The only exception is if the homeowner has a previously approved 'No Other Adequate Source of Heat' designation from the Clean Air Agency
  • No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
  • Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
It is OK to use natural gas and propane stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban. 

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65).



Saturday, November 29, 2014

Help local children in need though the Rotary Sharing Tree at Lake Forest Park

LFP Rotary Sharing Tree
Photo by Linda Holman

The LFP Rotary Sharing Tree went up on Friday November 28, 2014 in the lower level mall at Lake Forest Park Town Center. 

The tree will be up until December 24.

The ornaments were created by a class of school children in Florida.

They contain the names of children in our community who are in need this holiday season. 

Rotary hopes that the community will come by and take a tag to help one of these children. There are gift suggestions at the table and Rotarians will be on hand to assist with any questions.

The community is invited to come by to see the tree and also get information about the club. 


Light dusting of snow on Saturday

Contributed photo by Area News reader

This was the scene that greeted area residents on Saturday morning. As predicted, the roads melted the snow and ice after a few hours, and the snow dusting gradually melted down during the day. But it was enough to bring down trees and branches and help cause the widespread power outages in the area Saturday.


WeatherWatcher: Weekly Report

Forecast
Second Cold Snap
Monthly Temperature Graph
Last Week's Data

Forecast: We are in the grip of our second cold snap of the season, after only a short warm weather reprieve. As talked about in my previous report about the coming snow and cold, we are now well underway with the temperatures already down to 22°F tonight (Saturday 11-29-14). Sunday will be cold with a light north wind, temperatures will struggle to make it to 30°F. Skies will be clear with lows Sunday night dipping back into the upper teens to around the low 20's mark. Monday some moisture is expected to make its way up into the area for a slight chance of what is now called rain. However models are inconsistent with daytime temperatures, with most forecasts pointing to a low 30's for a high. If the temperatures are cold enough any precipitation will likely fall as snow or a wintery mix. Tuesday the cold will continue with highs in the low-mid 30's, lows in the 20's.

Wednesday - Friday temperatures may start to moderate a little bit as a new Pacific storm moves in bringing more precipitation. Again, a lot of forecasts are inconsistent with the temperatures, so right now I'm going to say that a rain/snow mix or snow is possible with this renewed surge of precipitation. I will do a special update if any significant winter storm threats become apparent.

Second Cold Snap: Friday and Saturday early morning we got a nice one-two punch of cold fronts that pushed through. First cold front was with the heavy rainfall Friday afternoon that brought us a daily rainfall total of 1.23 inches. The temperature Friday morning started at 53.6°F and dropped throughout the day dramatically to 34.7°F, a solid 19°F drop. As the edge of the cold front passed, as expected the rain started mixing with snow, at times and depending on location had brief periods of snow, with no accumulations. 

Saturday morning a second cold front pushed down, this one being the arctic cold front. As this cold front pushed through it developed a convergence zone band, which stayed up in the North Lynnwood - South Everett area until about 1am. After 1am the convergence band started moving south, bringing us our trace accumulation of snow. Temperatures Saturday continued to decline even after the sun came up. Temperatures went from 34.7°F at Midnight, down to 29°F by 10AM, by 3PM the temperature had dropped to 27°F.

Winds on Saturday were another big story with this cold front. Most stations recorded wind gusts to 25-30MPH, some of the strongest I was able to find within Shoreline or Lake Forest Park were 34 MPH.

The reason for such tree damage and widespread power outages? The winds were out of the North-Northwest. Our trees are adapted and accustomed to the typical south-southwest winds we normally get, but a strong northerly wind has been rare over the past 5 years. We also have very wet ground from the heavy rainfall on Friday. On top of that there was a significant amount of snow and ice weight built up on the tree branches that was just enough pressure on those trees and tree limbs to bring them down under those 35MPH gusts. The snow on the trees its self wasn't much of a weight load, but there was a lot of water on the trees from the rain we had yesterday that froze overnight long before the trees could dry off.

Below is the last 24 hours graphed on the weather station. You can see the winds spiking during the afternoon from about 10AM - 3PM. You can also see the pressure rising, and the temperature falling as the day progressed.

24 Hour Graph for Saturday November 29, 2014.
www.shorelineweather.com

Monthly Temperature Graph: I'm just going to show the daily high and low temperature graph this time around, it shows a significant swing through Friday. Saturday has not been counted yet because the day is not over yet.
November 2014 Graph by Carl Dinse
Last week's data:
High temperature: 57.9°F (Wednesday)
Low temperature: 34.7°F (Friday Night)
Rainiest Day: 1.23 inches (Friday)
Total rainfall: 2.29 inches
Warmest day: 56.3°F (Wednesday)
Coldest day: 43.2°F (Friday)
Average temperature: 48.5°F
Station average: 40.2°F

For current weather conditions and winter storm updates, see http://www.shorelineweather.com
Stay safe out there!



It’s basketball time for Shoreline community youth

Photo by John Bates 

Shoreline community youth who love basketball still have time to sign up for the Berean Basketball League.

The church-hosted basketball league is open to anyone within the Shoreline community with over one hundred youth expected again this year.

Berean Basketball League is now accepting players for the upcoming season. The league runs from Saturday, December 27, 2014 through Saturday, February 28, 2015. It consists of an Elementary league for both boys and girls grades 3-6, Junior High/ High School Girls grades 7-12, Junior High/ High School Guys grades 7-12.

Photo by John Bates

Registration fees are $45.00 for the first child in a family and $ 35.00 for each sibling. Registration MUST be received by December 9, 2014 @ 5:00 pm. A scholarship program is available for families who qualify for assistance.

“The primary emphasis of the Berean Basketball League is to provide an environment for kids to come together to learn teamwork and how to play basketball” stated Dan Royal, League Director, “and in a safe, fun venue. Our facility is a full-size basketball court with a viewing area for parents and friends.“

Photo by John Bates

Berean Youth Basketball is a family-friendly basketball league which focusses on teamwork and fun and basketball fundamentals. Students come to grow in their love for the game, and also to build lasting relationships with others their age.

“Our league desires parents, friends and relatives who are watching to be supportive in their words and actions of all who help in our league”, continued Royal. “We want our children and friends to play well, but most importantly, we want to exemplify good sportsmanship and proper attitudes during our time on and off the court.

Additional information and registration forms are available online – click on Youth Basketball. Or, contact Dan Royal, League Director, at 206-399-4421.


For families: a holiday tale of poetry and magic show

Thomas H. Pruiksma at the Shoreline Library
Monday, December 1

Enjoy a holiday tale that combines original poetry with magic to tell a story about harvest-time, family and the sharing of food.

This show celebrates the hidden wonders of daily life and the astonishing power of gratitude. Ages 3 and older. Presented by Thomas H. Pruiksma.

Space is limited; first come, first seated. No charge.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Shoreline Library.
Monday, December 1, 1:30pm, Shoreline Library, 345 NE 175th, Shoreline.



Lake Forest Park City Council overrides Mayor's veto and adopts budget

After Lake Forest Park Mayor Goss vetoed the budget passed by the LFP City Council (LFP Mayor vetoes property tax and budget ordinances), the LFP City Council held a special meeting Friday night to review their options and finalize the budget. Today the Council issued the following statement:

Lake Forest Park City Council Adopts 2015 Budget with Consecutive Unanimous Votes

On Friday, November 28, 2014, the Lake Forest Park City Council voted unanimously to override Wednesday's veto of the 2015 budget. The council budget originally passed unanimously on Monday, November 24th and carried the council's commitment of developing a balanced and sustainable budget for the community of 13,000 residents. The council reconvened Friday evening to address a veto of the budget by Mayor Mary Jane Goss.

The Council built the budget based on revenue projections from city administration and focused budget priorities on timely investments for the City’s sustainable future, specifically environmental efforts in the form of stream restoration; transportation; strategic planning; and community vitality.  

"This budget positions Lake Forest Park to begin transitioning from simply surviving to thriving," stated Council Chair and Deputy Mayor Catherine Stanford. 

The council did not anticipate a budget veto having used the financial assumptions in the Mayor's proposed budget. However, a mathematical error on property tax assumptions was discovered by city staff in mid November. It was included in the city's financial estimates that originated at least three years ago, and carried in the last two adopted budgets. The total impact of the error was somewhere between $7,000 and $15,000 in historical banked capacity. Responding to questions from the Council, City Attorney Kim Adams Pratt confirmed that the mathematical error did not affect the council’s current decision, nor did it exceed council's authority to consider how to address the error in the 2016 budget cycle.

“This is a responsible budget. It is forward-thinking and makes investments in the priorities that the citizens of LFP have identified as essential to our vibrancy,” stated LFP Councilmember Tom French, Budget and Finance Committee Co-Chair.

Most notably at Friday's city council meeting was the continued cohesion of the council members working as an effective government body, and keeping their commitments for balanced, sustainable, transparent and clear information in the development and adoption of the 2015 budget.

LFP Council Vice Chair Jeff Johnson said, "I am proud of this budget."

"While the 2015 balanced budget will not solve all of our financial challenges in the future, it lays a solid foundation for the council, the administration and the people of Lake Forest Park to work together, understand the issues and make choices together," commented LFP Councilmember John Resha, Budget and Finance Committee Co-Chair.

Cities in King County are required to file adopted budgets and estimated tax collections by November 30.

BACKGROUND

The Lake Forest Park City Council initiated the 2015/2016 biennial budget development process early in 2014 starting with the Budget and Finance Committee’s review of existing financial policies and recommendations to update policies. One substantive policy change adopted by the council increased the City’s General Fund’s fund balance policy from 10% to 12%. This resulted in an increase of $158,000 in reserve funds.

Key changes to the 2015 budget policies include:
  • Action to decrease accidents and increase the safety of the community, especially our children, on our streets and walkways; this action also increases future revenues by an estimated $250,000 per year.
  • Establishment of two strategic goals to one, return salmon to our creeks, and taking the first steps to understand the related costs of culvert failure; and two, realize a diverse multi-modal transportation system, so that we are not solely dependent upon cars for all of our mobility needs.
  • One-time funding for the strategic goals noted above so that we can develop project lists for the future that will allow us to plan and prioritize going into the next biennium.
  • $100,000 of matching funds for grants to begin supporting these goals through partnerships.
  • Funding to support the development of a City strategic plan, including training for the staff and administration.
  • Increased seasonal staff support for our parks.
  • A task force process and funding to support the identity and vitality of the city.


Power restored to most large areas but many single outages remain

Saturday 11-29-2014 8:20pm

Most of the large areas have power restored by 8:20pm Saturday, but a large area in Lake Forest Park still remains in the dark, as well as dozens of scattered, individual outages. Crews plan to work into the night to restore power. Many of the estimated repair times are 2am. All the listed reasons are "tree". Apparently a whole tree came down across Ballinger to block at least one lane - note the cluster of outages at the site.


Second mudslide cancels Sounder Northline Sunday and Monday

Northline Sounder service between Seattle and Everett is canceled Sunday, Nov. 30 for the Sounders FC match and Monday, Dec. 1st for regular commuter service due to a mudslide.

Riders going to the match from Everett can take ST Express 512 from Everett Station to 5th and Jackson. After the match, riders can take ST Express 512 from 4th and Jackson back to Everett Station.

Monday commuter service riders should check here for information prior to their morning commute.


Blockage on Ballinger Way

Metro reported a service change due to a blockage on Ballinger Way at 2pm Saturday - which may have something to do with the power outages. Anyone down there care to report in?

Route 331 is currently rerouted off of Ballinger Way NE between NE 190th St and NE 195th St, due to a blockage.
Use the stops east of 35th Av NE or west of NE 190th St until further notice.

Power outages all over the north end

It didn't seem like the wind was blowing that hard, but there were small green branches down everywhere. It might have been frozen tree limbs on power lines but Richmond Beach and Innis Arden seem to have very little power. 

Another very large section is out from about NE 160 to NE 185, from the freeway east into Lake Forest Park, then another large area east of the reservoir in Horizon View.

There are small outages all the way down to Northgate. All together, City Light reports 46 separate outages affecting 6518 households. And it's cold outside.


Outages west of the freeway were apparently reported first because they seem to be the only ones with estimated repair times (9pm).

If you want to keep track of your street, the power outage map is here. Look for the circles with a dot - there is more information, including the cause (when they find out and have time to report it), whether crews have been dispatched, and estimated repair times (remembering that it is only an estimate).


In The Garden Now…..Paper Bark Maple

Leaves of the Paper Bark Maple

In The Garden Now…..Paper Bark Maple
Paper Bark Maple Tree
Text and photos by Victoria Gilleland

When it comes to color, gardeners like to extend the fall color season for their shrubs and trees for as long as possible. One way to do that is to include plants that gain their fall color at different times during the season. While other maple trees are going through their autumn color cycle in earlier fall, the Paper Bark Maple is holding back to put on its scarlet show later than the rest.   

In addition this tree has a wonderful cinnamon colored exfoliating bark that stands out in the garden year round but especially during the late fall and winter before new green leaves emerge in spring. A tree with such beautiful fall color and showy bark should be situated so that it can be easily viewed from garden paths or from inside the house.

Cinnamon colored exfoliating bark

While it can be difficult to find maples that color up well in shadier gardens, Paper Bark Maple flourishes in part shade and effortlessly adds red to the autumn garden. In my Lake Forest Park garden bright green leaves start to turn red on lower branches first and over several weeks march up the tree as if the color is being wicked through the tree to the top. It’s an interesting phenomenon. These bright red autumn leaves are held on the tree for some time. We usually see their fiery color from the Thanksgiving table as well as much later in the season.

Paper Bark Maple is a slow growing tree that typically reaches a height of 25 feet by 15-20 feet wide. It’s worth watching for a glimpse of this unique tree in the neighborhood or if you have a garden that needs a showy tree with year round interest, think about planting this one. You won’t be disappointed! 

(Botanical Name:  Acer griseum)

Victoria Gilleland is the owner of Cottage Garden Designs, a Garden Design company specializing in Redesign of Residential Gardens, Garden Consultation and Coaching. She has been designing gardens in the northwest for over 20 years.




Free photos with Santa at Windermere Northlake in Lake Forest Park

Windermere Real Estate / Northlake at 17711 Ballinger Way NE, Lake Forest Park at the North end of LFP Town Centre parking lot.

Free Santa Photos
Holiday Tree Lighting
Saturday, November 29, 2014

Please bring a non-perishable food item

Photos 3:30-5pm
Tree Lighting 5pm


Friday, November 28, 2014

110 foot tree takes out transformer, power and cable lines

Roots stick into the air from the remains
of a 110 foot tree that came down
Wednesday morning and took out power lines.
Photo by Carl Dinse
Correction: neighbors chose to stay out of their homes until the situation seemed more stable.

78 households in the Northridge neighborhood in NE Shoreline were without power from 12:30am Wednesday morning until about 10am Wednesday after a 110 foot tree uprooted itself, knocked down a transformer and stripped lines from three poles. The street was blocked during the night and neighbors closest to the fall chose to stay out of their houses for several hours until the situation stabilized.

According to one neighbor, "We, the neighbors, all huddled in 'safe' spots outside between midnight and 4:00am Wednesday morning, getting to know each other better in the dark."

The transformer exploded when it hit the street, strobing sparks and flames and flooding the street with oil. Power lines and cable lines were strewn across yards and streets.

City Light crews were on the scene within minutes. A crew spent several hours cutting up the fallen tree, then the rest of the night dealing with replacing poles, transformer, and restringing wires. Neighbors report there were a dozen vehicles and two dozen men working 16 hours straight.

Department of Ecology personnel dealt with the spilled oil.

When all was done and power restored, Comcast crews moved in and spent 4-5 hours restringing cable lines on the street and to nearby homes.

Neighbors closest to the transformer fall heard the tree going down and the explosion, but those even a few houses away heard only a "whooosh and a kind of pop" as all the power went off.




Aaron Howe resigns as Head Soccer Coach at SCC

Aaron Howe, SCC Soccer Coach
Photo by Wilson Tsoi
The Shoreline Community College Athletic Department has accepted the resignation of Men’s and Women’s Soccer Head Coach Aaron Howe. Howe has been the Men’s Head Coach for two seasons and the Women’s Head Coach for four seasons.

His teams were very competitive and hard working. His best season was this year with the Women’s team taking second place in the Northern Region of the Northwest Athletic Conference.

SCC said, "We want to thank Coach Howe for his dedication and commitment to the Shoreline Community College Men’s and Women’s Soccer programs, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Shoreline Community College Athletics Department will begin immediate recruitment for replacements for both programs.


Iora Primary Care is open for business for local Senior Citizens

Iora Care is open now
15214 Aurora Ave N
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Iora Primary Care celebrated their grand opening earlier this year and is fully operational at its clinic on Aurora, next to JoAnn Fabric.

lora is unique in several ways. It only treats Senior Citizens who are on Medicare with Humana advantage plans, and it uses a team medical approach that pays attention to its patients, in and out of the clinic. Patients also have access to health classes and healthy social activities.

Rushika Fenandopulle, MD
speaks at the ribbon cutting
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
CEO and co-Founder, primary care doctor Rushika Fenandopulle, MD started Iora in 2010 after working within the current health care system, 
"tinkering with it and getting frustrated by my inability to change it from within. The current system is broken. It is fragmented, inefficient and sometimes inhumane. I know that we can do better for our patients -- both in service and in outcomes -- and that's what we're doing at Iora."

A "health coach" is part of the care team - lending an ear if patients want to talk and following up to make sure they are getting and taking their medications. If the patient misses an appointment, the health coach calls to find out if something is wrong.

The Shoreline clinic is located at 15214 Aurora, in the three storefronts south of JoAnn Fabric. It has easy access to bus lines on Aurora and free parking for those who drive. Phone 206-518-9033.

Shoreline is their second clinic in the Seattle area and their 11th clinic nationally. They partner with a different group in each clinic, depending on the need. Their Las Vegas clinic, for example, partners with the culinary union, which has self-funded medical insurance.

Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead cuts the ribbon
assisted by Iora staff and executives
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Their model is very successful. Iora patients show measurable gains in health and even with the extra staff, their model is cheaper for the insurance companies because their patients are healthier. They even have data that shows they have been able to virtually eliminate the health discrepancies among races.

Manager Josh Levine says, "Healthier people leads to lower costs thanks to lower rates of specialty care, diagnostic use, ER visits and hospital admissions."


And the unusual name?

Iora is a yellow bird native to Sri Lanka where the CEO and co-Founder Rushika Fenandopulle, MD is from.


Shoreline Knitters ready to donate to HopeLink

The bin has a permanent location at Shoreline City Hal
in the lobby - 17500 Midvale Ave N
Photo by Sis Polin

The Shoreline Knitters are ready for their annual delivery for HopeLink, coordinated this year by Susan Armstrong.

Shoreline Knitters, a crafty community, collects handmade items for those in need: hats, mittens, gloves, scarves.

The Knitters meet every Thursday from 1:00 to 3:30pm at Café Aroma, 509 N 165 Street, Shoreline, near the Crest Theatre.

They also do personal crafting, share patterns and provide help. They are an open social crafting community group and you are welcome to join us as a “regular” or when you have some extra time.   

They have a year round donation box at City Hall and will continue to find a much needed home for your donated handmade items.    


“You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry" at the Driftwood Players

Photo by Dale Sutton

“You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry"

This is the theme song this month at the Edmonds Driftwood Players. Phones are ringing off the hook and the website is getting unheard of traffic.

Why?  Because Santa is coming to town and will be onstage in Miracle on 34th Street from November 28th to December 21st (Thur, Fri, Sat @ 8pm).

All of the 2pm Sunday matinees are sold out and have waiting lists of people hoping that someone cannot use their ticket. Even opening night is sold out!

Many other nights are close to sold out and each day tickets become more and more scarce.

They added a Saturday matinee on December 6th just to help parents bring their kids to a 2pm performance. But those tickets are now selling fast since all other matinees are sold out.

So if you love this show, don’t dilly dally and get your tickets now! 

950 Main St, Edmonds, WA 98020, 425-774-9600


Live jazz Friday and Saturday at North City Bistro

Elspeth Savani at North City Bistro
Friday evening at the North City Bistro - Elspeth Savani and Latin Jazz Quartet, who will be playing from 8:30-10:30 for $8 Cover.

Here is a link to their website, where you can listen to their music.

Saturday, a new act to the Bistro - Jon Paynich will be performing with his Blues/Jazz band. This will be a very cool evening of Blues / Jazz, done as only this guy can do it, and he will be accompanied by some of Seattle's finest musicians, including Clipper Anderson, Jeff Busch, and Darin Clendenin!

Here are a couple links to youtube videos of John doing what he does so well: here and here.

1520 NE 177th, Shoreline.


Shoreline City Manager report week of 11/24/2014

Update for the Week of 11/24/14

November 24 Council Meeting

Dinner Meeting – Met with the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce Executive Board and Executive Director

Regular Meeting

·         Adoption of the 2015 Property Tax Levy and Adoption of the 2015 Budget

·         2014 Budget Amendment – Ordinance No. 700: Proposed Ordinance No. 700 totals $407,817, and increased both revenues and expenditures. The increase in expenditures is offset by the increase in grant revenue totaling $118,983 and the use of available fund balance totaling $288,834.

·         Chronic Nuisance – Ordinance No. 698: This ordinance is to correct some clerical errors. It is set for adoption on December 8.

·         Small Vendor Business License Waiver – Ordinance No. 693: The intent of proposed Ordinance No. 692 is to streamline the process for small vendors to participate in City and non-profit sponsored community building activities and functions.  This item will come back for Council action in early January.

December 1 Council Meeting

·         Contract Agreement with KPFF for the Design of the 10th Avenue NW Bridge Repairs (formerly known as Hidden Lake Bridge): Staff is requesting Council authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with KPFF Consulting Engineers for $84,383 to provide design services for the 10th Avenue NW Bridge Project.

·         Contract Agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation to Obligate STP Grant Funds for the 15th Avenue NE Overlay Project: Staff is requesting that Council authorize the City Manager to execute a Local Agency Agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to obligate $309,740 of Surface Transportation Program (STP) grant funding for the 15th Avenue NE Overlay Project to be constructed in 2016. The funding source is through WSDOT and provides for 68% of eligible costs.

·         Construction Contract for the NE 195th Separated Trail Project: This action will be to authorize the City Manager to sign a construction contract with Taylor's Excavating, Inc. in the amount of $395,325.30 for the NE195th Street Separated Trail Project. The award of this contract was delayed from November 24 as the City received a bid protest. That bid protest has been determined to not have merit.

·         Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract with Stewart, MacNichols, Harmell, Inc., P.S. for Primary Public Defense Services: The City is required to provide the services of a public defender to individuals who are determined to be indigent or nearly indigent and unable to afford representation themselves. Representation must be present at all criminal hearings, motions and trials that occur at the Shoreline Courthouse. This contract also includes provisions for representation at out of custody arraignment hearings, which the City has not provided prior to this contract. The public defense contract for Council consideration is for primary public defense services beginning January 1, 2015. The proposed contract’s initial term is for two years and includes three one-year options to extend, for a total contract life of five years (through December 31, 2019) if the option years are executed. To award this contract, the City conducted a competitive bid process and issued a request for proposals (RFP) on September 19, 2014. The City received seven proposals, and Stewart, MacNichols, Harmell, Inc., P.S. was selected as the most qualified firm.

·         Discussion of 145th Route Development Plan – Project Goals and Funding Strategies: The purpose of this agenda item is to discuss the following items related to the 145th Street Route Development Plan (RDP) with Council:

1.    Public outreach and communication strategy
2.    Project goals and evaluation criteria
3.    Funding strategies for improvements to the corridor over the long term.

Agenda Planner Changes

·         The PTE Amendments has moved from December 8th to January 5th. This will allow staff some additional time to review options for Council’s consideration and to coordinate potential PTE incentives with the 185th Light Rail Station Sub-Area Plan.

·         Award of contract for Classification & Compensation Study has been moved from January 5 to January 12.

Light Rail Update

On Thursday the Planning Commission reviewed the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the 185th Street Station Subarea Plan. A Review Guide to the FEIS is helpful in comparing the Alternatives studied in the FEIS. For review, the draft policies for the 185th Street Station Subarea Plan.

Public Safety – Council Goal No. 5

A one-page summary of the quarterly activity (July through October) of the police directly related to their Goal No. 5 initiatives. In summary, police held 24 community meetings during this time, including facilitating the start-up of seven new Shoreline WATCH groups. They performed 52 on-view area checks on the Interurban Trail, which there had only been seven during the same period in 2013. There were several instances during the first part of the emphasis when arrests were made and liquor violations ticketed. This activity seemed to subside later in the summer as the emphasis continued. Clearly presence has an impact on discouraging these activities and as such Chief Ledford will have patrol start another problem solving project in spring of 2015 to increase visibility and address any violations. The Shoreline Motel also had 60 incidents during this time period.

Employee of the Year Finalists

Each year employees have an opportunity to nominate co-workers for Employee of the Year. These nominations are reviewed by an employee committee who then recommend three finalists and the Employee of the Year. The Employee of the Year will be announced at the December 10, All City Staff Meeting. This year’s finalists include:
·         James McCrackin, Recreation Coordinator (Shoreline Pool Manager)
·         Jessica Simulcik-Smith, City Clerk
·         Miranda Redinger, Senior Planner

Meetings and Events from the Week

·         Woodway: On Monday, November 17, Deputy Mayor Eggen and I met with Woodway Mayor Nichols and City Administrator Eric Faison. Our discussion focused on Point Wells. We will follow-up with further discussions on this issue to understand their interests along with their interest in future operation of utilities.
·          
·         City Sponsored Community Events

o   Specialized Recreation “Wizard of Oz” Production: On Wednesday, November 19 approximately 100 people attended Specialized Recreation’s production of the “Wizard of Oz” at Shoreline Community College. It was heart warming to see the excitement and effort of our Specialized Recreation participants to put on this production. There was laughter, clapping and even a few tears displayed by the audience in watching the production.

o   Nurturing Trust – with Family, with Community: Thursday night, November 20 was the final session for this five-week workshop series for Spanish speaking parents. All workshops were conducted in Spanish. The goal of the series was to help parents learn how to form a safe community for their children and to encourage these parents to feel comfortable participating in City programs, to become involved with their community, and have positive relationships with the Shoreline and Lake Forest Park police force. There were over 30 parents who attended all five sessions and received certificates of completion. It was heartwarming to see this part of our community at City Hall for five weeks! Congratulations to Dahlia Corona, our Community Services Officer, who took lead in providing this workshop series.

This and That
·         We received word this week that Dockside Cannabis (Harvest Moon Enterprises) has passed their final inspection and anticipate that they will be opening soon as one of the two marijuana retailers in Shoreline. Their location is 15001 Aurora Ave. N. #15029.
·         Utility Unification White Paper from the Master Builders Association, who support the City’s efforts to move in this direction.
·         A link to an article about the impact of storm run-off on salmon habitat. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025048506_runofffishxml.html