Call to Artists for the 2011 Shoreline Arts Festival Poster

Friday, January 21, 2011

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council seeks original artwork and graphic design for the 21st annual Shoreline Arts Festival poster. The 2011 Shoreline Arts Festival theme is ARTITUDE: Art with an Attitude of Gratitude.

Artwork submitted should be existing work, and graphic design will be created specifically for the poster. An artist/graphic designer may be selected, or an artist and a graphic designer may be selected. The poster will be used to promote this two-day community event celebrating all the arts: music, dance, visual arts, literary arts, theater, film, and crafts to be held at Shoreline Center on June 25 and 26, 2011.

Send up to 10 images on CD, website information if available, a statement about how the images reflect the theme, and a resume or bio to:
           Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council
           18560 1st Ave. NE, Shoreline, WA 98155

Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2011

Questions? Call the Arts Council Office at 206-417-4645.

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture all of the arts in the community through programs and events, arts education, advocacy, and support for artists and arts organizations.

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Everett wrestlers defeat Shorewood by overcoming early Thunderbird lead

The Shorewood wrestling team pushed out to an early 18-12 lead over Everett Wednesday after Kyle Floresca pinned his opponent at 140 pounds.  Everett responded by winning the final seven matches for a commanding 48-18 victory. With the home loss, Shorewood fell to 2-2  in the Wesco 3A league and 5-5 overall. Everett is 5-0, 7-2.

The Thunderbirds compete at  Mountlake Terrace (0-5. 0-9) Friday, with the varsity teams meeting at 7 pm, preceded by the junior varsity at 5:45 pm.
Everett 48 at Shorewood 18

103 Justine Palabrica (E) dec Alex Lee (SW) 7-5 OT
112 Daniel Yun (SW) win by forfeit
119 Jessie Lopez (E) dec Mathew Floresca 6-3
125 Brandon Leach (SW) pinned Leo Norton (E) 0:18
130 Dominic Simonelli (E) dec Rikio Campbell (SW) 4-0
135 Zane Crook (E) dec Ian Ducey (SW) 8-5
140 Kyle Floresca (SW) pinned Garrett Wise (E) 1:08
145 Joel Palabrica (E) dec David Ball (SW) 11-9 OT
152 Anthony Hawkins (E) pinned Sam Jang (SW) 2:46
160 Zach Zorka (E) pinned Konnor Carpenter (SW) 3:32
171 Layne Gandrol (E) win by forfeit
189 Connor Boyce (E) dec Joel Smith (SW) 7-1
215 Brayden Jacobsen (E) pinned Chris Lee (SW) 0:31
285 Levi Carroll (E) pinned Taylor Winsor (SW) 1:12

Wesco 3A dual-meet wrestling Standings

DivisionAll
WLWL
Everett5072
Oak Harbor4144
Glacier Peak3235
Meadowdale2225
Shorewood2255
Lynnwood2337
Shorecrest1416
Mountlake Terrace0509








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Shoreline City Council to interview City Manager finalists on Sunday, Jan 23

The Shoreline City Council will hold a Special Meeting on Sunday, January 23, 2011, which will begin at 12:00 p.m. and is scheduled to conclude at approximately 6:00 p.m. The Meeting will be held in Conference Room C-104 of Shoreline City Hall, located at 17500 Midvale Avenue N, Shoreline, Washington.

The Council will meet in Executive Session to conduct the interviews and discuss their findings. Personnel matters are normally conducted in private.

From Scott Passey, Shoreline City Clerk
The Council may hold Executive Sessions from which the public may be excluded for those purposes set forth in RCW 42.30.110 and RCW 42.30.140. Before convening an Executive Session the presiding officer shall announce the purpose of the Session and the anticipated time when the Session will be concluded. Should the Session require more time a public announcement shall be made that the Session is being extended.

The decision will be announced in early February.


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SCC Men's Basketball Upsets #4 Ranked Whatcom, SCC Women Lose to WCC

Hooyman scored 10 pts for SCC.  Photo by Wilson Tsoi.
SCC Women’s Basketball Drops 75-60 To Whatcom CC

The Lady Dolphin’s basketball team jumped out to a 10-0 lead to start the game, but then Whatcom came back to take a 38-36 lead to end the half and went on to a 75-60 win as they dominated the second half.

SCC was led by Jenny Voss with 12 points plus 11 from Kylie Williams and Gnanamani Hooyman added 10. 

Ashley Honeycutt led WCC with 24 points.

Shoreline plays Saturday at rival Edmonds CC at 5:00 PM. SCC drops to 5-8 overall and 1-4 in the NWAACC Northern Region. 

Whatcom is now 5-0 in the region and 9-5 overall.


Kelsh scored 31 pts on WCC. Photo by Wilson Tsoi.
SCC Men’s Basketball Upsets #4 Ranked Whatcom Community College

Led by freshman Zachery Kelsh with 31 points, the SCC Men’s Basketball team defeated Whatcom Community College on Wednesday night in the SCC Gym 97-94. Whatcom is ranked #4 in the NWAACC Top 10 Poll while SCC dropped out after being ranked #8 the past two polls. Kelsh also had 7 rebounds on the night. Shoreline also had four other players in double figures, as Sean Jones had 15 points, Blayne Clanton and Alfie Miller added 13 each and Joseph Holifield dropped in 12.

Whatcom jumped out to an early double digit lead, but SCC cut it to two points at half-time, 40-38. SCC grabbed several leads of 10 points in the second half, but Whatcom came fighting back as well. SCC shot 50% for the game including 7 of 13 from 3 point range.

Shoreline is now 10-5 overall, 3-2 in the NWAACC Northern Region. SCC travels to Edmonds CC on Saturday night to take on the rival Tritons. Game time is 7:00 PM. Whatcom is now 11-3 overall and 3-2 in the region.

Douglas W. Palmer, SCC, Director of Athletics and Recreation/Wellness

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Shorecrest, Shorewood students advance to state DECA competition



Shorecrest DECA students competed in the regional event at Shoreline Center.  Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools


Shorecrest and Shorewood High School students placed in the top three in their respective categories at the Area DECA competition held recently at Shoreline Center, and have been invited to compete in the DECA State competition March 3 - 5 in Bellevue.

DECA helps students to develop skills for successful business careers, build self-esteem, experience leadership and practice community service.

Advertising Campaign
2nd place, Sahil Khan, Drew Delgado, and Eric Schriefer, Shorewood
3rd place, Henry McAree, Shorewood

Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan
1st place, Mackenzie Hanley and Danielle Norsby, Shorewood
2nd place, Sarah Fung, Shorecrest

Entrepreneurship - Independent Business:
1st place, Maria Sipos, Shorewood
2nd place, Ruthie Wabula, Shorewood

Apparel and Accessories Marketing:
1st place, Patrick Fillingham, Shorewood
2nd place, Will Malchow, Shorewood

Automotive Services Marketing:
2nd place, Eimanne El Zein, Shorecrest

Buying and Merchandising Management Team
2nd place, Peter Lam and Brian Na, Shorewood

Food Marketing Management
1st place, Ryan Howard, Shorecrest
3rd place, Alex Lee, Shorewood

Hotel and Lodging Management
2nd place, Maura Callahan, Shorewood
3rd place, Keegan DeVitis, Shorecrest

Marketing Management
1st place, Peter Berquist, Shorewood
3rd place, Celine Ulrich, Shorewood

Restaurant and Food Service Management
2nd place, Peter Lam, Shorewood

Retail Management
1st place, Jason Hwang, Shorewood
2nd place, B rian Na, Shorewood

Sports and Entertainment Marketing
1st place, Tyler Hirohata, Shorewood
2nd place, Connor McKeever, Shorewood
3rd place, Hassan El Zein, Shorecrest

Travel and Tourism Marketing
3rd place, Alexander Chang and Joseph Uchytil, Shorecrest

Travel and Tourism Management Team
1st place, Colleen Suh and Linda Hwang, Shorewood
2nd place, Emiko Yamada and Tracy Peng, Shorewood

Sports/Entertainment Management Team
2nd place, Edwin Tat and Michael Thai, Shorewood
3rd place, Matt Pettersen and Ben Delgado, Shorewood

Information from Shoreline Schools

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Boys' Basketball: Oak Harbor 48, Shorewood 45

Duncan Hendrickson, # 24, flips a pass inside to Josh Hawkinson, #41, Shorewood's 6'8" sophomore center. Photo by Wayne Pridemore.

Shorewood High School gym, Tuesday, Jan. 18
Oak Harbor 48, Shorewood 45

Shorewood tied the game at 45-45 with just seconds left in the fourth quarter. Oak Harbor shot a 3-pointer from the corner that just beat the buzzer that hit nothing but net to win the game.

Shorewood meets Shorecrest Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Shorewood in the concluding game of the day-long Shorewood-Shorecrest Hoop Fest involving boys' and girls' varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams.

Shorewood takes a 3-6 Wesco 3A record into the game (6-9 overall). Shorecrest's record is 6-3, 9-6.

Shorewood scoring - Pere 2, Hopen 3, Andrews 5, Kadiric 2, Berquist 16, Carrol 3, and Hawkinson 14.

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Ed Essex Print Retrospective / City of SL Employees Art Show Feb 3

Ed Essex: A Sixty Year Print Retrospective
and
The City of Shoreline Employees Art Show
February 3 to April 29, 2011

Open House - Meet the Artists
Tuesday, February 15, 5-6:30 p.m.

Shoreline City Hall – N 175th St and Midvale Ave N
Open Monday-Friday 9 - 5


The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council and the City of Shoreline present a new exhibit featuring Ed Essex: A Sixty-year Print Retrospective of linoleum block prints, and a collection of diverse work in the first City of Shoreline Employees Art Show. 

Please join us for an open house Tuesday, February 15 from 5-6:30 p.m. for a chance to meet the artists and enjoy some refreshments.

Ed Essex, Cascade 1960 linoleum block print.
The retrospective exhibition reflects the vision of Ed Essex, a long-time area resident, and his many years as artist, printmaker and art educator. His prints convey the poetic allure of the Pacific Northwest’s natural environment and celebrate the influence of the Seattle area’s culturally diverse population on his art and ideas. His images, simultaneously lyrical and forceful, speak dynamically of time and place. The definitive black and whites of his linoleum block prints become forces of nature: light, sound, wind and water. Marine, landscape, garden, still life and figurative images appear and reappear in a continuum across six decades of prints representing Ed Essex’s creative life.

The Shoreline Employee Art Show includes paintings, photographs, wood carvings and fiber arts by staff in the City Clerks, Finance, Parks, Planning and Public Works Departments. This is a unique opportunity to see the creative side of some of the engineers, techies, planners and managers who serve the city well in their day jobs.

The Gallery at City Hall may be viewed any time during regular hours, Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm except holidays.

Shoreline City Hall is located at 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133. For more information please contact the Arts Council at 206-417- 4645.

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture all of the arts in the community through programs and events, arts education, advocacy, and support for artists and arts organizations.

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Good Eats Restaurant Review: Spiro's

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Spiro's Pizza. Photo by Sean Wheatley
We welcome Sean and Leslie Wheatley as contributors to the ShorelineAreaNews.  

The Shoreline couple has an interesting business called Seattle Parties.  They "offer entertainment services for a myriad of events, including weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, private soirees, benefits, birthdays, and product launches. Whether you need an experienced and inspiring DJ, an exciting band, stunning visuals or all of the above, we work tirelessly to make your vision a reality."

And they eat out - a lot - so much so that they starting writing reviews of the local restaurants they frequent, to share with their friends - which now include the readers of the SAN.

from Sean and Leslie Wheatley
 
Tonight we had one of the old Shoreline standbys, Spiro's Pizza and Pasta. The owners are always involved in the community and have managed to create a wonderful place where everyone feels welcome. 

For whatever reason, the pizza was the best we've ever had there. We ordered a half pepperoni and half Spiro's Special (consisting of pepperoni, Canadian-style bacon, shrimp, mushrooms, olives, green peppers, mozzarella cheese). It was tremendous! 

In addition to pizza, Spiro's serves pasta, calzones, salads and sandwiches. Don't expect a gourmet experience, but the family friendly feel and home cooked touches make Spiro's a Shoreline staple.

Spiro's Pizza and Pasta 18411 Aurora Ave N (206) 546-2900

[Editor's note: you have to try the warm spinach salad with chicken] 

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Three Finalists Selected for City of Shoreline City Manager Position

from the City of Shoreline

The Shoreline City Council has selected three finalists to move to the final round of interviews for the city manager position. Current City Manager, Robert Olander, retires on February 23. 

The three finalists are:
  • Julie Underwood, the current Assistant City Manager for the City of Shoreline; 
  • Brian Wilson, Chief of Police for the City of Federal Way; 
  • Larry Bauman, City Manager for the City of Snohomish.
“We had a large pool of very qualified candidates to choose from and we believe these three individuals best exemplify the values we want to see in a City Manager for Shoreline,” stated Mayor Keith McGlashan. “Selecting a city manager is one of the most important decisions the City Council can make and I am very pleased at how well the Council has worked together through this process.”
Julie Underwood has been the Assistant City Manager for Shoreline since 2002. Brian Wilson has served as the Police Chief of Federal Way since 2006. He served as the interim City Manager from 2009 to 2010 when the City was transitioning from a council-manager to a mayor-council form of government. Larry Bauman has been the City Manager of Snohomish since 2002. Mr. Bauman served as the assistant city manager for the City of Shoreline from 1996 to 2002, with a brief stint as interim city manager in 2000.

The City hired Prothman, an executive search firm, to help with the search and hiring of a new city manager. Prothman received over 45 applications for the position. Of those, 13 were chosen by the City Council to go through an initial interview with Prothman. From the results of those interviews, the City Council chose the three finalists.

The final interviews will take place on Sunday, January 23 during an executive session of the City Council under the authority of RCW 42.30.110(1)(g). The City Council and the City’s Leadership Team will interview the finalists in separate panel interviews. On Monday, January 24, the Council will deliberate during another executive session.

It is anticipated that a new city manager will be selected by early February.

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CleanScapes Tip: don't upgrade your cell phone

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

There are many ways we can stop waste before it happens. Every week, CleanScapes emails tips on how to reduce waste as part of the Neighborhood Waste Reduction Rewards program.

On the Line
In our fast-paced world, technology is changing by the second, and with it the opportunity to buy the latest and greatest electronic toys and gadgets.

Cell phones are perhaps the best example of this: when a new cell phone feature is announced, we are all encouraged to take out our wallets, remove our SIM cards and swap-up.

This rapid replacement cycle creates electronic waste and promotes a false impression that electronics, like cell phones, are easy to dispose of.

Help reduce electronic waste and conserve natural resources by choosing not to upgrade your cell phone annually. Cell phones contain heavy metals and environmental toxins, and are not allowed in the garbage in Shoreline.

When your cell phone is ready to be replaced, take your phone to a local recycling collection point:
According to Shorewood Special Ed teacher Veronica Cook "You can also donate your used cell phones and ink cartridges to Shorewood High School. We are able to receive money for recycling them. This money helps support our community based program for medically fragile students. Please consider recycling them with us first."

Other recycling places are Office Depot, Staples, Best Buy, and Target.
Other Resources:

The Big Picture
Every day 427,000 cell phones are disposed of in the US(1).

Cell phones are made using mined, raw materials including copper, gold, lead, nickel, zinc, beryllium, tantalum, coltan, cobalt, cadmium, and other metals; crude oil for plastic; sand and limestone for fiberglass; and glass and mercury for the LCD screen. Cell phone batteries are made using lithium metallic oxide and carbon-based materials, all mined from the earth.

Many of these materials are known as “persistent toxins” and can stay in the environment for long periods of time, even after disposal.

By using your current cell phone as long as you can, donating your used phones to reuse programs, and recycling unusable phones, you will help conserve natural resources and reduce the accumulation of persistent toxins in the environment.

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A full day of cross-town basketball games, Saturday Jan 22

A full day of Shorecrest vs. Shorewood boys and girls basketball games will be held on Saturday, January 22 in the Shorewood High School gymnasium.

Here is the schedule:
  • 9:30 a.m.: Freshmen girls
  • 11:30 a.m.: Freshmen boys
  • 1:30 p.m.: Junior Varsity girls
  • 3:30 p.m.: Junior Varsity boys
  • 5:30 p.m.: Varsity girls
  • 7:30 p.m.: Varsity boys

The 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. girls and boys varsity games will also be telecast live on the Shoreline Education Access Channel 26 (Comcast) and 36 (Frontier) with Frank Workman calling the play-by-play. The games are produced by the Live Video Production classes from Shorecrest and Shorewood.

Admission will be charged for the JV and Varsity contests. Ticket prices are $5 adults, $3 Students without ASB cards and Seniors. Students with ASB cards are admitted free.

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Shorewood swimmers top state performers in three events

Shorewood swimmers have the top State times in three of the 11 high school swimming events.

Mackey Hopen in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke and Thor Stenfjord in the 200 individual medley not only have the fastest times among swimmers on Class 3A teams but the fastest times in all divisions.

Among Class 3A swimmers, Stenfjord also ranks second in the 200 freestyle and third in both the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke; Hopen, ranks third in both the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley; and Shorewood teams rank second in all three relays. Lakeside swimmers lead in five events, Shorewood in three, and Decatur, Mercer Island and Seattle Prep one each.

Shorewood takes its state-leading times and 13-0 dual meet record into a dual meet at Lake Stevens Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. after defeating Edmonds-Woodway and Mountlake Terrace in a double dual meet Tuesday.

In the victory over Edmonds-Woodway and Mountlake Terrace, Stenfjord again turned in State qualifying performances in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke. He has posted qualifying times in six individual events and three relays.

Hopen has qualified in five individual events and three relays.
Boys swimming state leaders


Class 4A
  • 50 freestyle — 1, Kim, Eastlake, 21.99; 2, Bury, Newport, 22.29.
  • 100 freestyle — 1, Kim, Eastlake, 46.59.
  • 200 freestyle — 1, Kim, Eastlake, 1:44.05.
  • 500 freestyle — 1, Roe, Stanwood, 4:39.84; 2, Weiner, Central Kitsap, 4:51.00; 3, Allen, Newport, 4:52.05.
  • 100 backstroke — 1, Nemeth, Garfield, 54.55.
  • 100 breaststroke — 1, Um, Beamer, 1:01.26; 2, Viehmann, Wilson, 1:01.41; 3, Sosinsky, Kamiak, 1:01.69.
  • 100 butterfly — 1, Kim, Eastlake, 53.13.
  • 200 individual medley — 1, Rysemus, Stadium, 1:59.03; 2, Allen, Newport, 1:59.63.
  • 200 medley relay — 1, Central Kitsap, 1:41.13; 2, Kamiak, 1:41.69; 3, Stanwood, 1:42.61.
  • 200 freestyle relay — 1, Beamer, 1:31.86; 2, Kamiak, 1:32.19; 3, Newport, 1:32.43.
  • 400 freestyle relay — 1, Kamiak, 3:18.88.
Class 3A
  • 50 free — 1, Mackey Hopen, Shorewood, 21.04; 2, Brotherton, Decatur, 22.23; 3, Thor Stenfjord, Shorewood, 22.30.
  • 100 free — 1, Zach Wagner, Lakeside, 47.29.
  • 200 free — 1, Wagner, Lakeside, 1:45.10; 2, Thor Stenfjord, Shorewood, 1:46.20; 3, Ekavithvorakul, Lakeside, 1:46.81.
  • 500 free — 1, Tanner Brotherton, Decatur, 4:40.89.
  • 100 back — 1, Rochford, Seattle Prep, 54.28; 2, Wingerson, Mercer Island, 55.11; 3, Thor Stenfjord, Shorewood, 56.36.
  • 100 breast — 1, Mackey Hopen, Shorewood, 58.36; 2, Deiparine, Mercer Island, 1:02.08.
  • 100 fly — 1, Ekavithvorakul, Lakeside, 53.14; 2, Moline, Mercer Island, 53.18; 3, Mackey Hopen, Shorewood, 53.43.
  • 200 IM — 1, Thor Stenfjord, Shorewood, 1:57.45; 2, Rochford, Seattle Prep, 1:59.90; 3, Mackey Hopen, Shorewood, 1:59.20.
  • 200 medley relay — 1, Mercer Island, 1:40.10; 2, Shorewood, 1:41.08; 3, Lakeside, 1:42.09.
  • 200 free relay — 1, Lakeside, 1:29.01; 2, Shorewood, 1:31.52; 3, Mercer Island, 1:32.23.
  • 400 free relay — 1, Lakeside, 3:14.87; 2, Shorewood, 3:22.47; 3, Mercer Island, 3:24.03.
Class 2A
  • 50 free — 1, Franco-Munoz, Lindbergh, 22.62.
  • 100 free — 1, Fish, Sehome, 49.75.
  • 200 free — 1, Sholdra, Renton, 1:48.05.
  • 500 free — 1, Barnard, Archbishop Murphy, 4:55.60.
  • 100 back — 1, Hsiao, Interlake, 55.78.
  • 100 breast — 1, Sholdra, Renton, 1:02.05.
  • 100 fly — 1, Mackintosh, Hockinson, 53.45.
  • 200 IM — 1, Fish, Sehome, 1:59.20.
  • 200 medley relay — 1, Sehome, 1:41.46.
  • 200 free relay — 1, Sehome, 1:33.10.
  • 400 free relay — 1, Sehome, 3:21.73.

Tuesday Results at Shoreline Pool
Shorewood 117, Edmonds-Woodway 66;
Shorewood 150, Mountlake Terrace 19
  • 200 medley relay — Shorewood (Thor Stenjford, Mackey Hopen, Steven Walsh, Colin Bell) 1:46.55.
  • 200 free — Doolittle, E-W, 1:54.66.
  • 200 IM — Hsu, E-W, 2:15.98.
  • 50 free — Thor Stenjford, SW, 22.23*.
  • Diving — Eddie Young, SW, 274.75.
  • 100 fly — Trevor Ransom, SW, 1:00.59.
  • 100 free — Anders Blomso, SW, 54.69 .
  • 500 free — Mackey Hopen, SW, 4:59.34.
  • 200 free relay — Shorewood (Colin Bell, Steven Walsh, Tevor Ransom, Mackey Hopen) 1:39.59.
  • 100 back — Thor Stenjford, SW, 55.84*.
  • 100 breast — Hsu, E-W, 1:08.30.
  • 400 free relay — Shorewood (Mackey Hopen, Thor Stenjford, Trevor Ransom, Steven Walsh) 3:27.34.
* = State 3A qualifying time, 

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Surface Water Master Plan Open House, Wednesday, Jan 19, 6-9pm

Surface Water Master Plan Update Open House
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 from 6-9 PM
City of Shoreline Council Chamber


The City’s Surface Water Utility invites the public to the Surface Water Master Plan Open House to learn about the surface water programs and services provided to the community. In addition, the City would like your feedback and comments on the surface water issues most important to you; these issues may include drainage and flooding, water quality, and stream/wetland habitat enhancement.

Some of the primary services provided by the Surface Water Utility include:
  • Capital Programs (for flood reduction, water quality enhancement, and habitat restoration)
  • Operation and Maintenance Program of the City's stormwater infrastructure
  • Public Outreach and Education Programs
  • Research- Water Quality Monitoring
  • Planning (such as conducting watershed plans)

Budget:
$170,000
Prepared with the assistance of RW Beck Consultants

Project Contact:
Surface Water and Environmental Services Program Manager
206-801-2451

The City of Shoreline Surface Water Utility is preparing an update to the 2005 Surface Water Master Plan. The 2005 Surface Water Master Plan was written to guide the City’s surface water management program and to identify surface water problems and needs, develop long term solutions that meet regulatory requirements, reflect the community’s priorities and can be funded by the City’s Surface Water Utility.

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Evan Smith: A Reader’s comments about redistricting

By Evan Smith
ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

A column in November about Washington’s redistricting being done by a bipartisan commission brought comments from a reader at the end of December.

Here they are with my responses:

"Before the bipartisan Redistricting Commission completes its work, we need criteria by which to evaluate their map.
"For example, new district lines should:
"1) respect political boundaries, especially counties and municipalities."
 (State law sets this as a guideline, but federal court decisions requiring strict equality among districts override respect for political boundaries." That’s true in South Snohomish County, where the legislative district that covers Lynnwood, Mukilteo and most of Edmonds includes one precinct in Mountlake Terrace, and the district that covers Mountlake Terrace, Brier, Bothell and Woodinville goes a couple of precincts into Edmonds to keep the districts within the allowed deviation from the statewide average.)

"2) avoid pitting incumbents against one another"
 (The commission tends to protect incumbents in most cases, probably because decisions require three votes from the two Democrats and two Republicans on the commission.)

"3) avoid moving incumbents into different districts"
(Moving incumbents happens sometimes, but usually because big population shifts make it hard to avoid.)

"4) maintain geographical cohesiveness (avoid gerrymandered skinny or illogical districts):
 (State law says, “Districts should be composed of convenient, contiguous, and compact territory.” This policy and the bi-partisan nature of the commission make illogical districting difficult.)

"5) respect geographical boundaries, including interstate highways, rivers and mountain ranges"
(This tends to happen. I’ve never seen a congressional or legislative district straddle the Cascades. If census figures don’t require exactly eight congressional districts west of the mountains and two on the east side, the commission will join two districts along the area on the north bank of the Columbia River. Rivers and highways make logical dividing lines, but a river sometimes joins more than it separates, such as the Columbia River between Kennewick and Pasco.)

"6) respect U.S. voting laws by aggregating minority voters into majority-minority districts"
(This is less of an issue in Washington than in other states. It tends to be cured because housing patterns tend to follow natural geographic patterns.)

"7) create Democratic and Republican districts in roughly the proportion in which they vote"
 (I don’t think this is, or should be, State policy, but having Democrats appoint two commissioners and Republicans appoint two protects the interests of both parties.)

"8) create new districts in areas of greatest population change, not uniformly throughout the state"
 (This tends to happen through the process of creating substantially equal districts. For example, the new Congressional district is likely to show up in the South Puget Sound area where growth has been greatest.)

"9) districts should be centered on an urban area, if possible, with its own media, if possible"
(Expect to see the new 10th Congressional District centered around Olympia, as the 2nd District covers Everett and Bellingham, the 3rd centers around Vancouver, the 4th around Yakima and the Tri Cities, the 5th around Spokane, the 7th around Seattle and the 8th around Bellevue. I don’t know what the commission could do about the 1st District, which fills space between Seattle and Everett, or the 6th and 9th districts, which both include part of the Tacoma area.)

"In essence, educate the public to they can judge 'fairness' for themselves. Get the voters, the bloggers and the editorial boards involved so they can better judge the proposals. Get the geeks involved to they can offer credible alternatives. There are online mapping tools to make your own alternative."
(The commission must follow publication meetings and public-records laws; so the press and the public can follow their work. The commission has sophisticated census data, data that is available to anyone with internet access.)



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Ronald Wastewater District saves money by paying off debt

from Ronald Wastewater District

Ronald Wastewater District Commissioners have decided to use available cash to pay off the District’s 2001 Sewer Revenue Bonds. The 2001 Sewer Revenue Bonds had outstanding interest rates that ranged from 4.30% to 5.00%. By paying off the debt, the District is saving $670,000 over the remaining ten years of the loan.  (Information in the preceding paragraph was corrected at the request of the Ronald Sewer District.)

According to Board President Arthur Wadekamper, the District had considered refinancing the Bonds.
“Right now the savings are much greater when debt can be paid off. Currently, the King County Investment Pool rates are very low, so it made more sense to pay off the higher interest cost debt with available cash.”
Board Vice President Brian Carroll, a CPA, explained that
 “the District now has little debt and is in a very strong financial position compared to other water and sewer districts and municipal utility systems.”
If the Commissioners decide to issue bonds in the future, the District will likely achieve a higher bond rating grade and obtain a lower interest rate as a result of paying off the 2001 Bonds. This will result in a lower interest cost to the ratepayers of Ronald Wastewater District.

Any future money from a bond sale could be for the replacement of aging sewer pipes, to keep the District's financial reserves intact, or to fund other capital expenditures.

For more information, Contact Michael U. Derrick, General Manager, 206-546-2494.

Ronald Wastewater District has been providing sewer service for 60 years.
We are your partner in environmental stewardship.

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Sky seminars Saturday and Sunday, January 22 and 23, Grafting, Edible Gardens



Saturday, January 22nd 11 am – 12:30 pm

Fruit Tree Grafting
Bill Davis of the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation and Dan Vorhis of Sky

Learn the basics of fruit tree grafting and rootstock and scionwood selection. Apples, pears, plums—create your own dwarf tree or start an espalier! A short lecture will be followed by a hands-on class (with rootstock, scionwood, and grafting supplies available for purchase). The lecture is free, but the hands-on class size is limited; please call or email to pre-register. More details to follow. Sky Nursery 18528 Aurora Ave N Shoreline, WA 98133 206-546-4851


Sunday, January 23rd 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Edible Garden Design
Brad Halm and Colin McCrate of the Seattle Urban Farm Company

Want to grow food in your yard this season? Join the owners of the Seattle Urban Farm Company as they guide you through designing your own "backyard farm". They'll discuss how to find the best spot on your property for a vegetable garden, how to lay out the space for maximum production and ease of use, and how to get your soil into condition to grow top quality organic vegetables. They'll also teach you how to incorporate fruit trees and berry bushes into your existing landscape. For those of you with more urban yards, they'll cover growing edibles in container gardens. Sky Nursery 18528 Aurora Ave N Shoreline, WA 98133 206-546-4851

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Shorewood girls fighting for tournament berth after splitting two games last week

The Shorewood girls’ basketball team is in a battle for a spot in the Northwest District 3A tournament.
 
The Thunderbirds were tied for the sixth and final Wesco berth in the tournament going into a Tuesday home game at Oak Harbor.
 
They moved into the tie with Mountlake Terrace by defeating Terrace Friday after losing to Meadowdale a day earlier.
 
Shorewood took a 2-6 record (3-11 overall) into the game at Oak Harbor (0-8 Wesco 3A, 1-12 overall) Wednesday.
 
In the 70-63 loss at Meadowdale (6-2, 8-6) Thursday, Shorewood led 41-39 after three quarters, but Meadowdale outscored the Thunderbirds 31-22 in a high-scoring final period. Lisa Echert led the T-birds with 23 points. Masha Shtikel scored 13.
 
In the 55-37 home victory over Mountlake Terrace (2-6, 4-10) Friday, Shorewood took the lead in the second quarter, held on in the third and broke the game open in the fourth. Shtikel led the Thunderbirds with 15 points. Lauren Thompson added 12.
 
The MLT news said this about the game:
"The first quarter ended with Terrace in the lead. However, the T-birds moved out to a 5-point lead at halftime. The Hawks stayed close through three quarters trailing 30-36. In the fourth quarter the T-birds shot very well, going 4-6 from three and ended the game 9-14 from the line."
Thursday, Jan, 13, Game:
At Meadowdale 70, Shorewood 63
Shorewood     11 11 19 22 — 63
Meadowdale    5 19 15 31 — 70


Shorewood Scoring
Points
Erin Ellersick
8
Jennifer Franklin
8
Kenra Holley-Lair
4
Kimberly Lindgren
4
Jennifer Thompson
3
Lisa Echert
23
Masha Shtikel
13
Gabby Hager
0
Kassie Rasmassen
0
Lauren Thompson
0

Friday, Jan. 14, Game:
Shorewood 55, Mountlake Terrace 37

M. Terrace      10  6  14   7 — 37
Shorewood       6 15  15 19 — 55


Shorewood Scoring
Points
Jennifer Franklin
9
Erin Ellersick
7
Georgia Allfrey
4
Lisa Echert
4
Gabby Hager
2
Kimberly Lindgren
2
Masha Shtikel
15
Lauren Thompson
12
Allegra Simpkins

Jennifer Thompson

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