Lake Forest Park Rotary begins a new year

President Mark Phillips receives the baton from 2025-26 president Terry Smith

The Rotary Club Of Lake Forest Park will begin a new Rotary year on July 1, 2026. The baton was passed at the changing of the guard dinner at the Civic club on June 24th when President Terry Smith passed the baton to Mark Phillips. 

Mark has been extremely active in our community. He is a two term Lake Forest Park city councilmember, LFP tree board member, former city rep to Salmon Recovery Council, and a founder of LFP Streamkeepers. He has been the LFP Rotary treasurer for 5 years.

President Mark Phillips with his new LFP Board of Directors

LFP Rotary has had a productive year.

Here are only a few of the nonprofits and activities we support.

• HopeLink
• Harvest against Hunger
• Hunger Intervention
• Safely Day, LFP Police dept.
• Shop with Cop, LFP Police dept.
• Shoreline College veterans Center
• Shoreline/LFP SENIOR CENTER
• Lake City kiddy parade
• eradicate polio night at the Lake Forest Grill
• eradicate polio dip in January
• Jazz Walk in North City
• *** PROM NIGHT, a yearly event to raise funds to support our many projects and activities benefiting our community and beyond.

2026-27 president Mark Phillips will guide LFP ROTARY into the 40th year of celebration in SERVICE.

Thank you to Terry Smith for leading us in another 2025-26 successful rotary year. The 2026-27 rotary year will mark the 40th anniversary of the LFP ROTARY now led by President Mark Phillips. 

You are all invited to our 40th birthday party on Wednesday September 9th. We meet the first three Wednesdays of every month at 7:15am at the LFP PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

If you are interested in serving our community and you want to have fun at the same time. JOIN US. The Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park

Jill Brady is LFP ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR

Jill Brady is LFP ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR. thank you, Jill for all your work with student scholarships and your enthusiasm and organizing our fundraising event.

--Story and photos by Robin Roat

A soccer-loving Shoreline barber gets tapped to cut hair for Egypt's World Cup team

The interior of Jazz Barbershop in Ballinger Terrace
Photo by Sky'e Underwood

There is a charming story published by KNKX Public Radio, written by Freddie Monares, about a Shoreline barber and his staff being tapped to provide haircuts for the entire Egyptian soccer team, in town for the World Cup Tournament.

The owner of Jazz Barbershop, Maram Hammadi, is huge soccer fan, so when a client with connections to the Egyptian team asked him to provide haircuts for the team, he didn't hesitate.

Read the story here.

Jazz Barbershop is in Ballinger Village at 20228 Ballinger Way NE, Shoreline, WA 98155

Summer meals in North Seattle for kids age 1-18

 

North Seattle locations for kids to eat during the summer school break, through August 21, 2026.

Find a site near you or get details here.

Dembowski celebrates installation of 90th new ballot drop box in King county

Rod Dembowski at the Northgate Branch of The Seattle Public Library.

King county Councilmember Rod Dembowski, along with CM Jorge L. Baron and Elections Director Julie Wise, celebrated the 90th ballot drop box in King County at the Seattle Public Library-Northgate! 

We will have 100 drop boxes by November. 

Rod says, "I wrote legislation in 2015 to significantly expand the drop box program — and voters love it; 67% of voters used them last November.

 
"In our most recent budget we added funding for more boxes and more security features to protect them. 

"We are ready for whatever the Feds throw our way. Thank you Julie Wise for your years of leadership supporting this effort!"

Neighbors commented that this particular drop box will benefit the residents of multiple local senior living communities.

The Shoreline area already has drop boxes at the 192nd park 'n ride, the Shoreline Library, LFP City Hall,  the Lake City Library, and the Broadview Library.

Listen Here! Teen Band Showcase at Pfingst Animal Acres Park featured four up and coming bands

Washington Creative District

Thank you to the sun, the four awesome finalists, and everyone who came out to the first Listen Here! Teen Band Showcase at Pfingst Animal Acres Park on Saturday June 27, 2026. 

WCD Psydela Alter Expressions and Dylan on the Keys were selected from a pool of rockin applicants and represent the finalists for 2026!

Psydela

Tailored to support musicians under 21, the purpose of this showcase is to give rising talent a live music platform, all-ages venue, and set of prizes to further their musical talent and dreams.

Prizes include:

• $250 cash from ShoreLake Arts and an invite to play Battle of the Bands on Aug 22, 2026
• Merch, GC, and an invite to have an in-store performance from Musicology Co
• One-hour mentorship with Crazy Good Records to help them find their sound, produce their songs, and advance to the next level.

Alter Expressions

Yesterday also gave the opportunity for teens to sell their art and painting supplies for all to express themselves however the music and moment moved them.

Thank you also to City of Lake Forest Park for the beautiful venue to hold this event!

Dylan on the Keys

We'll see everyone next year! (-and we'll add a beer garden and wrangle a food truck that won't cancel on us)

--ShoreLake Arts

Pride and rights for all at Sunday sign-waving

Story by Pamela Mieth

With so many big events for Pride weekend including the popular parade on Capitol Hill, a smaller-than-usual turnout at Sunday's sign-waving at the Shoreline-Edmonds line was expected, but still a healthy crowd of 49 area residents showed up.

They came to protest policies eroding human and civil rights, and show support for others. "Social Justice Sundays" sign-wavings are held almost every weekend (currently scheduled through every Sunday in July) at the intersection of Aurora Avenue North and N 205th St, from 1-2pm.

Food and toiletry items are also collected for donation to a local organization for those in need, and one volunteer routinely picks up trash helping to keep sidewalks, and sometimes even roadways, clear and local businesses' perimeters more sightly.

All are welcome to attend. Bring a sign or just yourself (some are available to borrow) and stand up for what matters to you. Organized by local group Everyday Activists, participants are committed to peaceful protest.

Travels with Charlie: Animal Safety Alert - Blue-Green algae in Lake Washington at Log Boom Park

Animal Safety Alert! Log Boom Park

Charlie and I stopped by Log Boom Park to wander by the lake. This Animal Safety Alert is posted at the Log Boom Park Pier as you walk onto the pier.

Toxic algae bloom in Lake Washington near Log Boom Park
Photo by Gordon Snyder

This showed up since our last visit here.

If you see a Bloom don’t let your Pet in the water.

Charlie says “Hey Friends - Stay Outa the Water.”
Photo by Gordon Snyder

Let’s all be careful and keep everybody safe and happy.

Cheers,

Gordon Snyder