Marcia Ball and The Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, Saturday Feb 19

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Marcia Ball
Marcia Ball and The Voice of the Wetlands Allstars perform a double bill at the Northshore Performing Arts Center, 18125 92nd Ave. NE, Bothell, on Saturday, February 19 at 7:30 pm.

Pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball brings the spirit of Louisiana and Texas roadhouses to every concert she plays and every song she records. Her music is mixed with equal parts simmering soul fervor and two-fisted piano pounding. Between her deeply emotive vocals and her incisive, often poignant songwriting, Ball is in a class by herself. Her groove-laden New Orleans RandB and driving Gulf Coast blues have made her a one-of-a-kind favorite of music fans all over the world.

Tab Benoit
The Voice of the Wetlands Allstars features Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux - each a renowned musician in his own right. 

Together they promise an eclectic mix of soulful blues, New Orleans funk, Cajun Zydeco, and gritty rock-n-roll. The VOW Allstars were founded in 2005 when these prominent Louisiana musicians got together to produce a benefit CD for the Voice of the Wetlands non-profit organization. The loss of South Louisiana's wetlands is a serious environmental problem, contributing to the loss of the musicians' unique culture, heritage and livelihood - and was made even worse by the destruction from Hurricane Katrina.

Ticket prices for this Special Event are Adult $40, Senior $35, and $25 for Youth under age 17.  Tickets are available online or by calling the Ticket Line at 425-984-2471. 

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Sustainable Shoreline Education Association Wednesday, Feb 23

Next Meeting Wednesday February 23rd at 7:00 PM

New Location: RYU Plaza
15005 Aurora Ave North See map
See our website 

Agenda:
Green Business Program - Speaker Wendy DiPeso  
The Green Business Conference Wed March 23rd
You can receive up to 6 Compact Fluorescent light bulbs 
when you bring incandescent bulbs to the meeting.


of saving energy and saving money 
doing energy audits and retrofits in residential homes in Shoreline
Richard Wells speaking.

Find out how this program can help Shoreline reduce energy consumption. 
City of Shoreline and Shoreline Solar Project are partners on this program.

For more information, contact Bill Bear
President Sustainable Shoreline
206-368-0858

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Donate Blood at Towne Centre

The Puget Sound Blood Mobile will be at the LFP Towne Centre on the lower level parking area on:

Tuesday, February 22
between 11 am - 5 pm
(with lunch from 1 pm –2 pm).

No appointments necessary. Drop-ins welcome.

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Ballinger Neighborhood planning for Outdoor Movie Night

Map of the Ballinger Neighborhood
The Ballinger Neighborhood Association is meeting on February 21 at 7:00 at the Lake Forest Park Montessori School on 19th Ave NE. We will be discussing our big summer event; Outdoor Movie Night. Please join us. We would love your input and help in planning this fun event. 


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‘Three Amigos’ to speak about interfaith relationships, Wednesday, Feb. 23, at Richmond Beach Congregational Church

Three Amigos. Photo courtesy rabbitedfalcon.com
Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergymen, known collectively as the “Three Amigos” will speak about interfaith relationships Wednesday, February 23, at 7 pm in the sanctuary of the Richmond Beach Congregational Church at the corner of Richmond Beach Road and 15th Avenue Northwest.

Rabbi Ted Falcon, Pastor Don Mackenzie and Sheikh Jamal Rahman have appeared on national television and throughout the country to speak and hold programs on interfaith spirituality.

Rabbi Falcon, ordained in 1968 at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, served in Los Angeles as a congregational and a campus rabbi until earning a doctorate in professional psychology in 1975. He is a teacher of Jewish traditions of meditation and spirituality whose books include “Judaism for Dummies” and “A Journey of Awakening: Kabbalistic Meditations on the Tree of Life"

Pastor Mackenzie recently retired as minister at University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle and plays in a country music band, “Life’s Other Side.” He had previously served congregations in Hanover, N.H., and Princeton, N.J.

Sheikh Rahman is co-founder and Muslim Sufi Minister at Interfaith Community Church and adjunct faculty member at Seattle University. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of California, Berkeley, his books include “The Fragrance of Faith – the Enlightened Heart of Islam” and “Out of Darkness into Light – Spiritual Guidance in the Quran with Reflections from Jewish and Christian Sources”

“The Three Amigos” program is sponsored by the Church’s worship board.

The event is free and open to the public. It is an event for all ages. Childcare will be provided free of charge.

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Boys swimming state championships at a glance

Nine swimmers and three divers from Shorewood and seven swimmers from Shorecrest have qualified for the State 3A swimming and diving championships Friday and Saturday at the King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way.

Our NewsPartner, The Seattle Times, published this schedule for the meet, including championships for the 4A, 3A and 2A classifications:

Thursday: All classifications practice, 3-7 p.m.

Friday: 4A swim and dive prelims at 9:45 a.m., 2A prelims at 2:30 p.m., 3A prelims at 6:15 p.m.

Saturday: 4A swim and dive finals at 10 a.m., 2A swim and dive finals at 2:30 p.m.; 3A swim and dive finals at 6:30 p.m.

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Free dental screening

There is still plenty of space available for families who would like a free dental screening for 6 months – 12 year olds this Saturday, February 19 from 11 - 1pm at the Shoreline Family Support Center.

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Shorewood girls’ season ends with tournament loss to Lynnwood

The Shorewood girls’ basketball season ended Tuesday with a 72-38 loss to Lynnwood in a Northwest District 3A tournament elimination game at Lynnwood High School.
 
The loss ends the Thunderbirds’ season with a 5-18 record, after they finished Wesco 3A play with a 3-11 record. For the season, Masha Shtikel led the Thunderbirds with an average of 13.1 points per game.
 
Lynnwood will meet Ferndale Friday for the Northwest District’s No. 3 berth in State 3A tournament play. The third-place game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Lynnwood High School, just before the District championship game between Shorecrest and Glacier Peak. Shorecrest, Glacier Peak and the winner of the third-place game will represent the Northwest District in the regional round of State-tournament play, Feb. 25-26.
 
In Shorewood’s 72-38 loss to Lynnwood Tuesday, the Thunderbirds trailed the Royals, 42-12 at halftime and fell further behind in the third and fourth quarters. Shtikel led Shorewood with 16 points.
 
At Lynnwood 72, Shorewood 38
Shorewood    8   4 15 11 — 38
Lynnwood   18 24 18 12 — 72
Shorewood Scoring
Points
Jennifer Thompson
5
Lisa Echert
4
Kenra Holley-Lair
4
Lauren Thompson
3
Georgia Allfrey
2
Allegra Simpkins
2
Masha Shtikel
16
Jennifer Franklin
1
Gabby Hager
1
Erin Ellersick
0
Final Shorewood Season Scoring:
Player

Games
Points
P/G

Masha Shtikel

22
289
13.1

Lisa Echert

22
206
9.4

Jennifer Franklin

20
119
6.0

Erin Ellersick

23
124
5.4

Kenra Holley-Lair

19
86
4.5

Jennifer Thompson

22
85
3.9

Kimberly Lindgren

18
46
2.6

Lauren Thompson

23
57
2.5

Kassie Rasmassen

16
32
2.0

Georgia Allfrey

7
9
1.3

Gabby Hager

19
20
1.1

Allegra Simpkins

16
12
0.8

Munawara Abdula

10
4
0.4

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Shoreline City Council unanimously approves Richmond Beach Drive street reclassification

Richmond Beach Drive
From the office of the Shoreline City Manager

At the February 14 City of Shoreline Council Meeting, the Council unanimously approved an amendment to the City’s Comprehensive Plan to reclassify Richmond Beach Drive from a “Neighborhood Collector” to “Local Street.” The amendment also stated that any future re-designation of this road segment to collector arterial will not be considered unless certain conditions are fulfilled.

The conditions calls for either Snohomish County or the private developer to provide a Transportation Corridor Study and Mitigation Plan that can show if reasonable and safe improvements can be realistically be done and provides assurance that funds necessary for mitigating traffic impacts are committed.

"The only access to the site runs through Shoreline's Richmond Beach Neighborhood, which is a single family neighborhood, and is a winding, two-lane road going in and out. We are deeply concerned that the City bears all impacts of the proposed development without having a say in the size, scale and scope," says Mayor Keith McGlashan.

This is the latest action taken by the City of Shoreline to actively address concerns arising from the proposed development at Point Wells. Point Wells lies in unincorporated Snohomish County and has been designated as an “Urban Center” area by the Snohomish County Council. The twenty high rise buildings and resulting density proposed for Point Wells is completely at odds with the surrounding single family neighborhoods in Shoreline and Woodway.

The Point Wells property owner, Blue Square Real Estate (BSRE) has proposed approximately 3,150 residential housing units and 100,000 square feet of commercial space. The developer states that the project would generate 10,000 average daily vehicle trips. Currently Richmond Beach Drive, the only vehicular access to the development, handles approximately 500 average daily vehicle trips. Even assuming the developer’s estimate of the number of auto trips is correct, preliminary computer modeling done by City staff in 2009 indicates that nine of the City’s intersections would fail from traffic of that magnitude.

In order to address the concerns with the proposed development, the City is working through various channels to limit the traffic impacts of Point Wells to a number more in line with Shoreline’s plans for the area. These include working on proposed legislation with our State Legislators and joining with the Town of Woodway and the community group Save Richmond Beach in filing appeals with the Washington State Growth Management Hearings Board. The City has also attempted to negotiate directly with Snohomish County, joining with the Town of Woodway and the Tulalip Tribe in asking the County Council to adopt a moratorium on development permits at Point Wells until meaningful two-way negotiations can occur to address these serious concerns. Unfortunately, the County Council has rejected these requests and insists that all of these concerns can be addressed after BSRE submits its application for development.

One of the City’s main efforts to date is an appeal to the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB). On November 9, 2009, the City of Shoreline filed a Petition for Review (PFR) with the GMHB, the state agency in charge of hearing appeals alleging noncompliance with the State Growth Management Act and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The Town of Woodway and the citizen group Save Richmond Beach also filed a PFR with the GMHB.

The City's PFR alleges that the Snohomish County action designating Point Wells as an Urban Center (a prerequisite for moving forward with the proposed development) is inconsistent with both Snohomish County's own Comprehensive Plan and the Growth Management Act. In addition, the PFR alleges that the County did not comply with the requirements of SEPA. The Growth Board will hear the City’s appeal on March 3, 2011 and issue its decision no later than April 25.

In addition to this appeal, the City amended its own Comprehensive Plan concerning the Point Wells area in April 2010. The resulting Point Wells Subarea Plan articulates the City's concerns, interests, and aspirations regarding urban service delivery, governance, traffic, and impacts on adjacent neighborhoods in Shoreline.

“The City does not oppose redevelopment of the Point Wells property with a mix of uses, public access to the waterfront, environmental cleanup, and cutting edge sustainable building practices” said Shoreline Planning Director Joe Tovar. “We are even fine with some taller buildings, but BSRE’s proposed project, with 6,000 people creating over 10,000 car trips is way out of scale for this location.” 
The BSRE proposal would have the thirteen tallest buildings between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., located far from high capacity transit like bus rapid transit on State Route 99 or planned light rail along I-5.

The City will continue to pursue every avenue possible to ensure any development at Point Wells more closely aligns with the City’s vision and is of a scale that is reasonable and compatible with the surrounding communities.

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Evan Smith: Ryu says that negotiations over Point Wells can’t wait for Snohomish County

Rep. Cindy Ryu, D-32
By Evan Smith
ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

State Rep. Cindy Ryu says that negotiations over the impacts of the proposed Point Wells development can’t wait for Snohomish County to act.

Ryu has co-sponsored a bill with fellow 32nd District Democratic State Rep. Ruth Kagi to limit residential development at Point Wells unless Snohomish County negotiates over impacts of the development.

Snohomish County Councilman Dave Somers testified against the bill at a State House of Representatives committee hearing Friday, saying that the County would be willing to negotiate with the cities of Shoreline and Woodway but only after the County has completed its own review of the project.

Owners of the former industrial site at Point Wells have proposed building a large residential community at the southwest Snohomish County site.

Property tax revenue from the site would go to Snohomish County but the only way to and from the site would be on a narrow road in Shoreline.

Kagi told me Tuesday that she expects the House local government committee to approve the bill this week.

Kagi added that the issue was clear to committee members, who asked good questions about why the County and cities had not been successful negotiating on the issue.

Ryu said that she applauds Somers for being willing to meet with Rep. Ruth Kagi, but she said that she continues to call for respect for Richmond Beach residents who would feel the impact of added traffic from the development.

“It is time for State intervention because negotiating after Snohomish County's review will not protect Shoreline's interests,” Ryu said, “As a Richmond Beach resident and former council member and mayor of Shoreline, I am familiar with and passionate about ensuring that our community have a say in the Point Wells development.”

Ryu said that she was proud to speak in favor of the bill along with Kagi as well as Woodway City Council members, who voiced support, and with Edmonds City Councilman DJ Wilson.

The bill and a companion bill sponsored by Sen. Maralyn Chase would limit density at Point Wells to the density of nearby cities unless the County negotiates over impacts with nearby cities.

The Senate bill was to have a hearing Tuesday afternoon.

Chase, Kagi and Ryu represent Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Woodway, Kenmore, south Edmonds and the rest of the 32nd Legislative District.

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Reception honors retiring City Manager Bob Olander

Bob Olander. Photo City of SL.
Community leaders gathered at City Hall on Monday, February 14, to honor City Manager Bob Olander, who is retiring from a long and respected career in city management. He started as staff support supervisor for Bellevue, then went to Selah. In 1982 he became the city manager of Anacortes. Six years running Ocean Shores, then to Des Moines Washington, first as assistant, then as City Manager for six years.

In 2002, he came to Shoreline as Assistant City Manager, and in 2006, during a time of great turmoil in the City, he was chosen as City Manager. He managed to gain the trust of all political sides and kept the trust and support of the experienced and competent city staff.

Dean David Cunningham and Mark McVeety of SCC. Mayor McGlashan
Under his watch, Shoreline continued to be recognized by influential magazines, such as Money, Seattle Magazine, and Seattle Metro. Large public works projects such as City Hall, the Interurban Trail, the Aurora Corridor, and the Parks renovations and open space acquisitions under the Park Bond were under his watch.

Des Moines staff present Bob with the City Afghan
 Tony Piasecki, City Manager of Des Moines, came to honor Bob, along with two Des Moines councilmembers and two long-time city staff. They spoke of his accomplishments in Des Moines, which sounded remarkably like his Shoreline resume with public works projects, parks, open space and beach acquisitions, annexations and improvements to downtown lighting and streets. They talked about his leadership in helping the city deal with the impacts of SeaTac Airport and the third runway and their pride in passage of a fair employment act.

Lynn Cheeney sings. Photo by Mark McVeety.
Shoreline staff kept it light, with recitations of doggerel in poem and song, including Parks Recreation Superintendent Lynn Cheeney and her husband singing "Take me home, retirement roads" to a John Denver tune.

Bob took the podium and said that he is pleased to leave Shoreline with a strong infrastructure and stable financial footing. He said he takes pride in the public works, but what he would remember and miss the most were the great people he had worked with. 

Bob with Shoreline City Councilmembers
He praised the dedication of the councilmembers and the volunteers, and thanked his wife for her support.

"It was an honor to work with the staff. They are dedicated, bright, ethical, honest, and just genuinely nice people."

The crowd gave him a standing ovation.

His last day as City Manager is February 25, when he will be succeeded by Julie Underwood, currently Assistant City Manager.

--Diane Hettrick

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Shorewood Drill is best in show at Interlake competition

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Shorewood Drill Team. Photo by Stellah Kang.
At the Interlake Drill Competition on Saturday February 12, the Shorewood Drill Team took first place in the Military category.  They received the Spirit Award.  

And - they received the highest overall score of the competition, awarding them first place. 


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Richmond Highlands Neighborhood meeting Tuesday, Feb 22 at The Rec Center

Next Tuesday, February 22, is our neighborhood meeting, and we have a pretty neat presenter. Richard Wells from SustainableWorks will join us to tell us about a program that has just been done in Lynnwood/Edmonds, and is now coming to Shoreline. 

"SustainableWorks is a community-based non-profit created solely to help home and small commercial building owners, like you, with home retrofits to reduce energy use while also creating quality jobs."

They will be offering low-cost home energy audits - "Thanks to federal stimulus funds and utility support, your audit will cost only $95 (fully refundable if we don't recommend any improvements) and includes installation of CFL light bulbs, shower heads and faucet aerators to start saving immediately." (this type of audit apparently usually runs about $600)

"An energy consultant will review the findings with you and suggest the most cost-effective steps to reduce your energy use. You will only select the extent of energy saving activities and costs that you are comfortable with."

"We coordinate everything - contractors, financing, project management and final inspection - to make the process as easy as possible for you." They do kind of a buy-in-bulk with service contractors, which lowers the cost for everybody - for instance, one electrician could service 4 homes on your street with no travel time.

We would also like to talk about neighborhood mini-grant possibilities, and share some information about public art in Shoreline, and the possibilities for Richmond Highlands. Hope you can make it!!

Richmond Highlands neighborhood in yellow
On March 22, we will host Brian Schultz, Executive Director for the Shoreline Public Schools. 

The topic is the Shorewood construction project - timeline, traffic impacts, neighborhood impacts, etc. If you are interested in a heads-up concerning the upcoming construction, this is the place to be!

Richmond Highlands Neighborhood Association now meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month, 7 pm at the Rec Center, 16544 Fremont Ave N.

--RHNA

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Shorewood Cheer Squad State academic champions

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) announced Friday that the Shorewood Cheer Squad has the highest GPA for all 3A Cheer Squads in the State of Washington. 

3A Academic Champions

Top Row:  Kate Burton, Chelsea Carlson and Katie Chae
Second Row: Kat Alexander, Kristie Wong, Shauna Bjornson, Erin Sutherland, Lizzie Bowen, and Heaven Tekleab
Bottom Row: Allegra Simpkins, Cassi Marler, Hannah Clements, Angela Evans, and Ali Petrichko

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WeatherWatcher: January 2011, compared to the last two years


Overall it was wetter this January than it was in 2010, or 2009. In 2009 we had just under 3 inches of rain for January, in 2010 it was about 4 and a half inches, this year we got 5.8 inches of rain in January! So if it seems wetter this winter, that’s because it is. You can thank la Nina for these effects. However it would be interesting to note that in 2009, it was also a la Nina year, yet it is the driest of the last 3 years for January. I will write more on this in a different article.



Temperatures in January this year overall averaged colder than last year. The total average temperature for January in 2009 was 45.1ºF which is pretty close to normal I believe. This year the total month average temperature was 41.9ºF! Much cooler than last year.


In summary, if it feels colder and wetter, that’s because it is. And this isn’t just for January. So far beginning in November we’ve been colder and wetter than normal, so the effects of this winter’s la Nina have been what was expected by most experts.

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Evan Smith: Ferguson says he announced early to reach more voters

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Bob Ferguson
By Evan Smith
ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

King County Councilman Bob Ferguson says that he announced his candidacy for state attorney general early to give himself time to reach voters around the State.

Ferguson, a Democrat, represents Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, north Seattle and the rest of the 1st County Council District.

Ferguson said Monday that he had announced 21 months before the 2012 election “so I have time to personally connect with as many Washington voters as possible.

“That's always been my campaign style, and I enjoy direct communication with voters,” Ferguson told me. “It's a big state and I plan to have an aggressive campaign that reaches all corners of Washington.”

Ferguson said that he is not concerned about whether Republican incumbent Attorney General Rob McKenna will run for re-election or make an anticipated bid for governor.

“I'm focused on organizing a disciplined, grassroots campaign and speaking to as many voters one-on-one as possible.” Ferguson said.

He reportedly told the Seattle Times before his announcement that he expects to be running for an open seat.

After Ferguson won re-election to the Council in 2009, he told me that he was considering a run for attorney general, but only if McKenna didn’t seek re-election. The two were colleagues on the County Council in 2004 before McKenna won his first term as attorney general.

After McKenna joined attorneys general from other states last year in a lawsuit to block parts of the federal health-care-reform law, Ferguson wrote a letter of protest. At that time, Ferguson told me that he was considering a run for attorney general, but didn’t include the part about McKenna’s not running.

Many Republicans have been promoting Ferguson’s current Council colleague Reagan Dunn as a possible Republican candidate to replace McKenna. Dunn was a federal prosecutor before he was appointed to the County Council seat that McKenna vacated to become attorney general. Dunn won a full term in 2007.

Dunn says that Republicans have started the Dunn-for-AG web site without his knowledge, but he has been quoted as saying he would consider running for attorney general if McKenna gives up the position to run for governor. Dunn is the son of the late Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn.

McKenna has said that he will announce his intentions later this year.

Ferguson said Monday that he would have no problem balancing the demands of a campaign with representing his district on the County Council, noting that McKenna was a councilman when he first ran for attorney general in 2004 and that Dow Constantine was a councilman when he ran for County executive in 2009.

“I will remain focused on my work,” he said, “but I'm a pretty disciplined guy and I don't mind being busy."

Ferguson first won election to the Council in 2003, when he defeated long-time Democratic incumbent Cynthia Sullivan to represent their north Seattle district. After voters reduced the number of Council positions from 13 to nine, he defeated fellow Democratic incumbent Carolyn Edmonds in 2005. He ran unopposed in 2009.

Ferguson worked for a Seattle law firm before winning his first term as a councilman, He has reactivated his bar status, something that McKenna also had to do after letting his status become inactive while on the County Council.

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SCC students perform Mozart's "The Impresario" Thursday - Saturday, Feb 17-19

Mozart. Wikimedia Commons
SCC students perform Mozart’s ‘The Impresario’at Opera Workshop Performances, 7:30pm, Thurs-Sat, February 17-19, 2011

The Shoreline Community College Opera Workshop Performances will be performed by music and drama students at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, February 17-19 at the college theater on the west side of campus.

This year’s performance will feature the one-act comedy, ‘The Impresario’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the theme revolving around the rivalry between two opera divas. Scenes will be performed from ‘La Perichole’ by Jacques Offenbach; ‘The Medium’ by Gian Carlo Menotti; “Hansel and Gretel’ by Engelbert Humperdinck; ‘Martha’ by Friedrich von Flotow; and ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Musical directors, Susan Dolacky and Charles Enlow; Director, Teresa Thuman; Conductor, Adam Burdick; and Chorus Master, Frederick Lokken.

General admission is $15, $10 for seniors and students, and $8 for children 14 and younger and Shoreline Community College students. Tickets are available at the door, the Cashiers Office located in the 5000 (FOSS) Building and at Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 or 

Shoreline Community College is located at 16101 Greenwood Avenue North, just west of Aurora Avenue and north of Seattle city limits. Parking pay stations are located near the theater; credit and debit cards and quarters (no bills). Weekday rates are $2 – 2 hours; $3 – 4 hours; and weekend rates are $2 all day.

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Shoreline Area Wildlife: Pigeons, Starlings and Sparrows

PAWS provides regular posts about wild animals commonly found in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area. Each post gives facts on the species’ natural behavior, as well as how to avoid and resolve common problems with the animals.

Songbird Sparrow. Photo courtesy PAWS.

The most common roosting birds in cities and suburbs are pigeons, European Starlings, and English House Sparrows. All are highly adaptable, and very capable of finding shelter and roosting sites on and in buildings. They eat food from garbage cans and bird feeders, and in parks where people offer them handouts.

Wild pigeons

Pigeons, also known as Rock Pigeons, were introduced into North America in 1606. They nest under bridges, inside barns, and on building ledges, rafters, and beams. They lay eggs throughout the year and raise several broods of one or two young, who can fly about 35 days after hatching.

Rock Pigeons were the first birds domesticated by humans, raised for food and used later as message carriers. Wild, city pigeons are feral descendants of domesticated Rock Pigeons.

Starlings

The European Starling was introduced in New York in 1890 and has since spread across the continent. In spring, the starling's plumage is black with iridescent tints of green and purple, and the bill is yellow. In winter, the bill is dark and the plumage is lighter and speckled.

Starlings often roost in large numbers, and during fall and winter they flock to and from their communal night roosts. They nest in cavities, including holes in freeway signposts, and they compete aggressively for nest holes in trees with native birds such as flickers and bluebirds.

Starlings raise two to three broods per season, each with four to six young who usually leave the nest 21 days after hatching. Known for their diverse vocalizations, starlings can imitate the sounds of other birds and animals.

House Sparrows

The House Sparrow was introduced to North America in the mid-19th century and now lives throughout the United States. The male has a brown back and wings, pale gray underparts, and a black bib. The female has a solid grayish-brown breast and no black markings.

House Sparrows always live close to humans, and are frequently seen in large flocks in city trees and hedges, or under the eaves of buildings, where they build their nests. They raise two or three broods during the spring and summer, each with three to seven young. The youngsters leave the nest at about 17 days after hatching.

Solving and preventing conflicts

Roosting birds, like pigeons, starlings and sparrows, rarely cause damage, but when they gather in large numbers their droppings can get messy and unsanitary. Habitat modification can keep birds out of areas where they are not welcome.

Bird-proofing with netting

Bird netting made of weather resistant material is available in a variety of sizes and is a versatile tool for bird-proofing. To prevent birds from roosting on window ledges, anchor the netting to the roofline, stretch it across the front of the building, and secure it at the bottom and sides.

You can overlap large panels of netting and hang them in front of a garage or other open door. Netting can also be used inside buildings to prevent perching on rafters and other horizontal surfaces.

Physical barriers

  • To keep pigeons off flat surfaces, such as ledges, you can modify the surface. Make a false ledge by fastening wood, stone, or metal over the surface, angled, at least 60 degrees. The birds will slide off when they land.
  • Use parallel lines of monofilament line or stainless steel wire to make a barrier. String the lines through eyelet screws a few inches above the roosting surface. Keep the lines taut by placing the eyelets no more than 18 inches apart.
  • To prevent starlings and sparrows from nesting in buildings, seal holes under eaves and in outside walls and replace loose shingles and siding. If the birds have already nested and are caring for babies, wait until the young have fledged and left the nest, then remove all nesting materials and close openings.
  • If you put up nesting boxes in your yard, choose ones with small openings that accommodate chickadees, nuthatches, and wrens. Boxes with holes larger than 1 inch in diameter fit starlings and sparrows, therefore you should avoid them if you do not want to attract these birds.

If you or a neighbor have questions or a current problem with wildlife, please call the staff at PAWS Wildlife Center at 425-412-4040. PAWS helps resolve conflicts with wild animals and also rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife found by the public.

--PAWS Wildlife Center Staff | wildlife@paws.org

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