Book review by Aarene Storms: Saving Sky

Monday, June 27, 2011

By Aarene Storms, Youth Services Librarian
Richmond Beach Library, KCLS

"Saving Sky"  by Diane Stanley

7th grader Sky Brightman and her family live self-sufficiently off-the-grid in a not-too-distant future, when war with terrorists has led to alert days and rationing. They are relatively isolated from shortages and violence...until Sky's friend Kareem is targeted by Homeland Security.

The situation is not far-fetched, and the potential for this story to "be real" overshadows a stereotypical cast of characters. Readers looking for realistic fiction will enjoy this quick, sweet story. No cussing, no kissing, no on-page violence. Ages 12 to adult.
The events may not have happened; still, the story is true. --R. Silvern

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Parkwood Community Garden helps feeds the hungry

Parkwood Community Garden plots
The Parkwood Community Garden, on the grounds of the Vineyard Church, was one of the first community gardens created in the area.  

Organizers started building the gardens in August 2010, so this is the first planting year.  Set up with a mini-grant from the City of Shoreline, and the support of the Diggin' Shoreline group, there are 16 plots for rent on a first come, first serve basis.

There is also a 3000 square foot "Giving Garden" where people are welcome to come and plant food for the HopeLink Food Bank. There is no charge to plant in the Giving Garden, but gardeners are asked to donate 90% of the food.

The Community Garden always welcomes volunteers to help build paths, weed, plant seeds, water when necessary, and eventually harvest the vegetables.

There are sign-up forms on the website, as well as a place on the application to donate money for plot rent scholarships for those in need. 

For more information email Nancy or visit the Parkwoood Garden website 

The gardens are a project of Turning Point, a social service agency in Shoreline which focuses on at-risk youth. They also do Afterschool Adventures, an afterschool program for homework help and English language learning. Turning Point runs several basketball camps, soccer camps and participates in the Shoreline Back To School drive. 

The kids that attend the Afterschool Adventures program will be helping in the Giving Garden and their families will receive some of the food.

Both Afterschool Adventures and Parkwood Community Garden are located on Vineyard Community Church property at 14800 1st Avenue NE, Shoreline WA 98155.  The church donates the land and the meeting space for these programs. 


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Shorewood grad awarded research fellowship at Johns Hopkins

Caitlin Jacques, who graduated from Shorewood High School in 2007, has moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she is a fully-funded Research Fellow in the Johns Hopkins University PhD program in Civil Engineering.

In May, she graduated from Harvey Mudd College (HMC) in Claremont, California, where she earned her B.S. in engineering. During the last two and a half years at HMC, Caitlin was a DePietro Fellow in Civil Engineering, where she did extensive graduate school level research.

She also was principal cellist of the Claremont Colleges Orchestra, cello in a string quintet, acted, directed, and costumed a production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, performed as part of a ballroom dancing group, and sang. She plans to continue with the arts, as well as her engineering research, at Johns Hopkins.


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All your voting districts will change next year

By Diane Hettrick

All of your voting districts are going to change next year. Every ten years, on years ending in zero, there is a federal census. After the census data has been compiled and released, all the voting districts within each state have to be redrawn, to balance by population.

US Senators represent each state, so they are the only ones not subject to change. Two per state, regardless of the size or population of the state.

US Congressional districts are balanced on the basis of US population, but do not cross state lines. Since the population of the United States is shifting west, Ohio is losing a congressional district and Washington state is gaining one. This means that as a state we will have an additional member in Congress in the House of Representatives. Currently, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park are in two congressional districts, represented by Jay Inslee and Jim McDermott.

Within each state, the boundaries of the legislative districts will change. A committee is currently holding hearing around the state to solicit public opinion on how those districts should be configured. The hearings are broadcast on TVW, Comcast Channel 23. Right now they are showing the hearings held in Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett. The next showing is midnight on Thursday, June 30.

Currently, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park are fully within the 32nd legislative district, which stretches east to Juanita, including Kenmore and Finn Hill. To balance population ten years ago, the committee split Edmonds, with the southwestern portion joining the 32nd district. The line literally goes down the middle of the street, with people on the south side of Walnut Ave in the 32nd and people across the street in the 21st. The 32nd is represented by Sen. Maralyn Chase, and Representatives Cindy Ryu and Ruth Kagi.

Anyone can testify at these hearing, but most are public officials, city council members, and people who are active in their political organizations. Shoreline resident Elaine Phelps, of the 32nd District Democrats, told the committee that when part of Edmonds joined the 32nd, there was great resistance on all sides because the district now crossed county lines. However, she said, they soon learned that suburban cities have so much in common that working with two counties was not an issue, and asked the committee to consider keeping suburban cities together, rather than joining them to urban cities.

People from rural areas talked about the difficulty of getting people together for meetings because of the distance and difficulty of travel in districts that cover large amount of territory. One district even ended up with people on each side of a mountain pass.

King County is also redrawing its council boundaries to rebalance by population. Currently, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park are fully within District 1, represented by Bob Ferguson. District 1 has remained fairly stable in population, but other areas have grown so District 1 needs to get bigger. Of the four current proposals, two of them split the district down I-5, with west Shoreline and north Seattle together, and east Shoreline and LFP in a different district.  See story.




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Wednesday in Shoreline - Public Hearing of the King County Redistricting Committee

Click on the maps to see a larger version.
Current King County District 1
In the wake of the 2010 census, the boundaries of the King County Council districts are being redrawn to balance the districts by population.  

Currently, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park are fully within the 1st legislative district, represented by Bob Ferguson.  The 1st district needs to gain population. Population in Shoreline and LFP has remained stable, while other parts of King County have gained population.

Draft Plan 1. Divided by I-5, most of Shoreline in District 4. East SL and LFP in District 1.
The redistricting committee will hold a public hearing in Shoreline on Wednesday, June 29, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm in the Council Chambers of Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133.

Draft Plan 2 keeps Shoreline and LFP in the same district 1.
The committee will present the four draft plans, two of which divide Shoreline down the middle along I-5 or Aurora.

Draft Plan 3 splits Shoreline down Aurora with west SL in District 4
Each meeting will feature a short briefing on the draft plans and a chance for you to share your ideas. You can also submit online comments or write to the Districting Committee, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104.

Draft Plan 4 keeps SL and LFP together and goes farther east
The Committee must approve a single final plan by January 15, 2012


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Two Shorecrest soccer players on Herald All-Area second team

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Glenn Paden. Photo by Wilson Tsoi.
The Everett Herald has named two Shorecrest soccer players to its All-Area second team.

Shorecrest senior forward Glenn Paden and junior forward Jayme Perry were among top players selected from Snohomish, Island and north King counties, including players from the Western Conference 4A and 3A divisions and the Cascade 2A-1A Conference.

The All-Area first team included six players from Wesco 3A champion Glacier Peak, two from Jackson of the Wesco 4A South, one from Lake Stevens of the Wesco 4A North and one each from South Whidbey and Sultan of the Cascade Conference.

Joining Paden and Perry on the second team were two players each from Marysville-Pilchuck and Snohomish, of the Wesco 4A North, two from South Whidbey, and one each from Oak Harbor of the Wesco 3A, from Lake Stevens and from Sultan.

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Shoreline Arts Festival continues on Sunday, June 26

Sunday hours for the Shoreline Arts Festival - 10 am to 5 pm.
Shoreline Center, 18500 1st Ave NE
Sunday, June 26, 2011


What's a fair without food?  These curly fries are cut with a power tool, squashed into a brick and cooked.  Not sure if you're paying for the food or the performance.  Photo by Jerry Pickard.


The Shoreline Room stage was booked solid with dancers and musicians.  This group went in procession through the grounds.  Photo by Jerry Pickard.


The Kellee Bradley band rocks out on the Showmobile stage.  Photo by Jerry Pickard.


Paintings were displayed in every room in the Shoreline Center. Outside was filled with tables of arts, crafts and photographs.  Photo by Jerry Pickard.


The ThimbleBelles quilters displayed their quilt artistry, including the 2011 American Revolution Freedom Trail quilt to be raffled off. Photo by Jerry Pickard.



Come early for breakfast at the Shoreline Senior Center from 8:30-noon.




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Brief power outage in north Shoreline last Thursday, June 23

By Diane Hettrick

If you were not home on Thursday morning, June 23, you missed watching the power going off for a couple of minutes, then struggle back on. You may have wondered, as I did, why the clock setting was gone on the microwave and a few other small electrical devices.

According to the Aurora Corridor project communication team,

"the unplanned outage was caused by a blown transformer at the southeast corner of N 192nd Street and Aurora and was not related to construction activities. One of the major benefits of the Aurora Corridor Project is that all overhead power lines on Aurora are being converted to underground power. Aside from the aesthetic improvements of removing the overhead power poles and wires, underground systems are less susceptible to damage and will have back-up systems to minimize or eliminate widespread outages, such as the one that happened [on Thursday]."

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For the Birds: Merlin –the feisty falcon

Saturday, June 25, 2011

a male Merlin. Photo by Hal Everett.
By Christine Southwick

If you hear a high-pitched, “Kee-kee-kee”, LOOK UP.

It will be a raptor of some sort. If you are lucky, it will be one of our local Black Merlins (also called Coastal Forest Merlin).

This small fast flying falcon is easily over-looked because of its size and speed. Since 2008 Merlins have been observed breeding here in urban trees . 

This year there were three identified pairs laying eggs, and attempting to raise young. Because of the long cold weather two of the nests may have failed, but the third nest in Shoreline appears to still be active.

The male Merlin has a blue-grey back, while the female and immature are brownish-grey to dark brown on their backs. Both have similar buffy streaked chests. On cloudy days, it is often hard to tell the orangish tint on the male’s chest.

Female Merlin. Photo by Barbara Deihl.
These feisty little falcons readily chase off larger predators, and will chase and capture flushed prey, no matter who was the original hunter. Merlin often tag behind a hunting Sharp-shinned Hawk just for that very reason. Merlins are such successful hunters that they often cache extra food nearby, to be eaten later. These fearless feathered raptors have been known to take on much bigger prey by knocking it out of the sky. They’ve even been known to take on cars….

Merlins don’t build their own nests, instead remodeling abandoned nests—mainly crows nests. The nests must be high, 36-100 feet up in a tall tree, usually evergreen, with some cover above it. Additionally, there needs to be an exposed tree top or limbs nearby from which the Merlin can view prey. 

It is important that big tall evergreens be protected and preserved in city landscapes for the charismatic Merlin.

Merlins fly fast and straight; they rarely dive-bomb like the Peregrine. They are the second smallest falcon in this area, with the Kestrel being the smallest. It is easy to misidentify a flying Merlin with a Sharp-shinned Hawk due to size, but look for the bent pointed wings of a falcon. Sharp-shinned Hawks have rounded wings, and their wing bend is nearer the head. Both raptors mainly eat birds, and indeed, Merlins were once called Pigeon Hawks.

flying Merlin. Photo by Doug Parrott.
At this time, the greatest danger to Merlins is loss of suitable habitat. Needing tall trees with an openness to hunt, some have now started nesting in urban area, since so many of their traditional breeding sites have been logged, or razed by urban expansion. Window strikes while chasing prey cause approximately 50% of all premature deaths.

Tell your neighbors to keep their tall trees, and LOOK UP. Who knows when you may find the next breeding Merlins?


Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager. She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she's sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.

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Three Academic Dolphins lead the way For SCC Athletics

Chelsea Lindroth. Photo by Wilson Tsoi.
The Shoreline Community College Athletic Department announced its Green, Gold and Dolphin Academic Clubs for spring quarter 2011 and for the academic year of 2010-11 today. 

For the first time in the three year history of the academic athletic clubs, SCC had three 4.0 GPA students in one quarter. The Green Club is for students with a 3.00 to 3.49 GPA, Gold Club for 3.50 to 3.99 and Dolphin Club, 4.0 GPA.

Matt Cottingham (Baseball), Chelsea Lindroth (Softball) and Joseph Ademofe (Men’s Soccer) all had 4.0 GPAs for the spring quarter, Cottingham and Lindroth accomplished the feat during their busy spring seasons.

Matt Cottingham
Overall, 38 Dolphins are represented in the spring quarter clubs, 35 different individuals as Jenny Voss and Andrea Schneider played multiple sports for SCC this year. 

Freshman Voss was the first three sport athlete at SCC in a long time, as she was recruited to SCC from Aberdeen High School as a scholarship women’s soccer and basketball player, but also joined the short handed women’s tennis team in the spring quarter to fill out their roster and ended up winning three individual matches and two doubles matches at the NWAACC Tennis Championship. Schneider played women’s basketball and then joined the softball team in the spring quarter.

Joseph Ademofe
40 SCC student-athletes were part of the 2010-11 Green and Gold clubs for the year. 

Women’s basketball led the way with 7 Green and Gold members during 2010-11, followed by softball and men’s soccer with 6. Women’s basketball had 4 Gold club members for the year and men’s soccer had 5 Green Club members to lead those clubs.


Photos by Wilson Tsoi.

Photo by Wilson Tsoi

The softball team dominated the spring grades, with 7 members in the academic clubs, 3 in Green, 3 in Gold and 1 Dolphin. The softball team on the field went 18-15-1 overall, 17-7 in the NWAACC Northern Region; good enough to finish second in the region and go to the NWAACC Softball Championships were they won 1 game and lost 2.

SCC Athletic Director Doug Palmer said: “SCC Softball is a great example of how it can be done on the field and in the classroom. Coach Swehla and his team has over the past three seasons won a regional championship and finished second twice, plus has produced the highest number of academic club members as well. SCC softball does college athletics the right way”.

Links to complete lists of award winners:


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Shoreline house fire

Shoreline Firefighters quickly controlled and then extinguished a house fire in the 14800 block of Greenwood Avenue North this morning around 5 am.

An occupant of the home called 911 saying a bedroom was on fire, and that he and his wife were evacuating. An adult son, who normally slept in the bedroom, was not home at the time of the fire.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find smoke coming from the second floor of the home. The fire was controlled and all residents accounted for within minutes.

No one was injured. Shoreline Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be a malfunction in the electrical wiring. The family will need to relocate while repairs are made to the home.

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Tuition to rise 12% at Shoreline Community College under new state budget

Shoreline Community College will go into the next year with less money coming from the state, more money coming from students and fewer employees.

“You can see that over the past three years, the percentage of the college budget from the state allocation is getting smaller while the percentage covered by student tuition and fees is getting larger,” said Daryl Campbell, Vice President for Administrative Services. Campbell was speaking to the college Board of Trustees at the June 22 regular meeting. 
The trustees approved the overall budget of $37.8 million, but not unanimously and even some of the yes votes weren’t happy about it.
“Can the trustees vote to approve something less than 12 percent,” Shoreline Trustee Shoubee Liaw asked somewhat rhetorically. “I think it is just morally wrong. We’re committing (students) to debt.”
Board Chair Jerry Smith said he would reluctantly vote for the tuition increase included in the budget, but agreed with Liaw.
“Increasing tuition at a place like the University of Washington is one thing, but raising tuition at a community college is way worse,” Smith said. “The community college system is at the forefront of the national agenda right now. To raise tuition on community college students is very objectionable to me.”

The budget includes a 12 percent average tuition increase, an increase set by the state Legislature in the recent special session and approved by Gov. Chris Gregoire. 


During a study session before the regular meeting, Campbell presented a chart that showed the shifting funding burden.



In 2009-10, Campbell said, the unrestricted state allocation accounted for 51 percent of the college budget. The next year that had slipped to 48 percent and for the coming year the figure is 44 percent. 

In contrast, the student tuition portion has risen from 34 percent, to 35 percent to 40 percent over the same three years. He also pointed out that the category called local funds, primarily student-paid fees, has also grown from 8.9 percent, to 9.5 percent to 11.3 percent of the operating budget during that same period.

--Jim Hills,  SCC Blog

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LFP Historic Signs, #5: Lake Forest Park Civic Club / Transportation

Lake Forest Park Civic Club and Early Transportation: The Civic Club’s role in the early community and transportation around the lake, early 1900’s.


This sign is located at the Civic Club, near Ballinger and Bothell Way.

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WeatherWatcher: June 18-24, 2011 - warmest day Tuesday at 63.7

The Shoreline/Lake Forest Park area continues to be strongly influenced by a marine air flow off of the pacific ocean, keeping us cool, mostly cloudy with occasional drizzle/rain showers.

Warmest and coldest days are based on average temperature of the entire day, starting at midnight. All other averages are based on the whole week. All weather data unless otherwise noted is sourced from Carl’s Shoreline Weather Station.

Warmest day: 63.7ºF (Tuesday)
Coldest day: 54.1ºF (Saturday)
Rainiest day: 0.16 inches (Tied between Saturday and Friday)
Average temperature: 57.1ºF
High temperature: 78.4ºF (Tuesday)
Low temperature: 48.7ºF (Thursday)
Total rainfall: 0.48 inches
High humidity: 100%
Low humidity: 21% (Tuesday)
Average humidity: 83%
High pressure: 29.589 inches (Thursday and Friday)
Low pressure: 29.353 inches (Saturday)
Average pressure: 29.514 inches


Upcoming weather:
We will see more of the same, as I originally predicted earlier this month. We will probably continue to be strongly influenced by this marine air flow from the Pacific until about the end of the 1st week of July to possibly the 3rd week of July. Once we get out of this pattern we should warm up into the upper 70’s for highs, with a few days into the 80’s here and there to end our July and start August.

ENSO (la Nina, el Nino) status:
La Nina has dissipated into a neutral stage. Meaning we will have a normal summer more or less as far as temperatures and precipitation are concerned. We will probably have less than an inch of rain for July, and August with temperatures averaging for highs in the low-mid 70’s and possibly 80’s at times. I don’t think we’ll see more than a day or two reaching the 90’s.

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Rings found in Hamlin Park

In mid-May, a Shoreline Area News reader found a set of what looks like wedding rings in Hamlin Park. She describes them as two small rings which obviously go together. Each ring has a stone on it.

They were found in the woods at Hamlin, near the trails.

If you know someone whose rings were lost or perhaps stolen around that time and you think these might be yours, contact us at our Tips email. Give a good description of your rings, with a photo, if possible.

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Public hearing on Shoreline Town Center, June 30

Friday, June 24, 2011

A vision for Town Center
The Shoreline Planning Commission will hold the final public hearing on the proposed Town Center development codes on Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 7 pm in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N.

This is the third and final hearing. Staff will make the presentation and answer questions from the Planning Commission members. The public can comment, after which the commissioners can ask further questions of the staff. Commissioners will deliberate, then take the final vote on what to recommend to the City Council.

Town Center is the area between N 170th and N 188th Streets and between Linden and Stone Avenues. The area includes the improved Aurora Avenue, City Hall, the new Shorewood High School and the Interurban Trail as well as expectations for property redevelopment over the next 20 years. 

Town Center is envisioned to be a neighborhood for the entire city. 

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The King County Veteran’s and Human Services Levy

By Evan Smith
ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

Ballots in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and the rest of King County will include the King County veteran’s and human services levy along with the Aug. 16 primary election.

When the King County Local Voters' Pamphlet arrives at the end of July, it will show this ballot title:

August 16, 2011 Primary And Special Election
King County
Simple majority (RCW 84.55.010)
Proposition No. 1
Veterans and Human Services Levy

The King County Council has passed Ordinance No. 17072 concerning funding for regional veterans, health, and human services. This proposition would replace an expiring levy and fund capital facilities and services that reduce medical costs, homelessness, and criminal justice system involvement with half of proceeds supporting veterans and their families. It would authorize King County to levy an additional property tax of 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation for collection in 2012 and authorize annual increases by the percentage increase in the consumer price index or 1%, whichever is greater, with a maximum increase of 3%, for the five succeeding years. Should this proposition be...

__ 

APPROVED
__

 REJECTED

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Rummage sale at Shoreline UU Church, Saturday June 25

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Choir of the Sound performs at the Shoreline Arts Festival on Saturday

Choir of the Sound will perform at the Shoreline Arts Festival Saturday from 4 - 4:45 pm on the Shoreline Room Stage at the north end of the complex.

The Shoreline Arts Festival is at the Shoreline Center this weekend, 18560 - 1st Avenue NE, Shoreline, WA. 98155. Saturday, June 25 from 10-7 and Sunday June 26 from 10-5.

The Choir is open to new members and is auditioning men and women for its upcoming 2011/2012 season.  It is a local community choir that performs a wide variety of music including traditional holiday music, classical works, and Pops tunes.


They rehearse in the Shoreline area, with performances in Shoreline and Lynnwood.  
Most rehearsals are Monday evenings during Fall, Winter and Spring quarters. 

Members range in age from 22 to 82.  Email or call 206-528-9990 to set up a specific time for your audition.

SUMMER AUDITION DATES:
Monday, July 18, 2011 6-9 pm
Terrace View Presbyterian Church
4700 228th Street SW Mountlake Terrace, WA

Monday, July 25, 2011 6-9 pm
Sand Point United Methodist Church
4710 NE 70th Street Seattle, WA

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Shoreline Arts Festival, June 25-26, Shoreline Center

Shoreline Arts Festival this weekend, Saturday and Sunday
Shoreline Center, 18500 1st NE
Arts and crafts, food, vocal and dance groups, Missoula Children's Theatre, ACS demonstrations

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ACS Field Day - see Hams in operation at the Shoreline Arts Festival

Shoreline Auxiliary Communications Service to join in national deployment
Public Demo of Emergency Communications June 25-26

Shoreline Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) (see previous article) will join with thousands of Amateur Radio operators who will be showing off their emergency capabilities this weekend.

Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide. During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called “Ham Radio” - was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property.

When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications.

On the weekend of June 25-26, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Shoreline’s
ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about.

Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called "Field Day" is the climax of the week long "Amateur Radio Week" sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. 

Their slogan, "When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, Internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year's event.

"We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather's radio anymore," said Allen Pitts, W1AGP, of the ARRL. "The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that – it’s fun!”

Shoreline ACS will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at the Shoreline Center on June 25th-26th. They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s new capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.

There are over 685,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide both emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies and nonemergency community services too, all for free.

Learn more about the Shoreline ACS.  The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the team. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!

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Lake Forest Park celebrated 50 years with a party

Clowns, Casper Babypants, good food, things for the kids to do - a good time was had by all at the party celebrating the 50th anniversary of the City of Lake Forest Park, on Saturday, June 18.  All photos by Jerry Pickard.


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Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Plant of the Month: Devil's club

Oplopanax horridus
Photo from Wikimedia
By Sarah Baker, Garden Director

As its name implies, Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus) is a fearsome, thorny plant. The plant is covered with small spines that break off easily when handled, and its large size and leaves give it a primordial appearance perfect for its preferred habitat: The dense, misty, old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest.

As a relative of ginseng, a popular medicinal plant, Devil’s club has numerous medicinal qualities traditionally valued by the Northwest’s Native Americans. The plant was used to treat tumors and diabetes. Some herbalists believe that, like ginseng, the plant can increase resistance to anxiety, stress, and exhaustion. It has been harvested for this purpose and sold as "Alaskan ginseng."

With striking foliage and form, and dramatic clusters of red berries, Devil’s club makes a unique garden plant but is seldom used as such. It can thrive in shady home gardens when placed in moist, acidic soil. It is generally slow growing, reaching up to nine feet in height, but is well worth the wait for the patient gardener! Devil’s club flowers in the spring and is available to purchase in the MsK Nursery.

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden and MsK Rare and Native Plant Nursery is located at 20312 15th Ave NW in Shoreline, WA 98177.

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Shorecrest, Shorewood All-Wesco 3A Boys’ Track Athletes

First Team
Shorewood senior David Fan (100)
Shorecrest senior Dillon Baker (110 Hurdles)
Shorecrest senior Sean Dever (Long Jump)
Shorewood junior Henry Schlesinger (pole vault)
Shorecrest 4x100 Relay team of Keegan Lockler, Chris Uchytil, Sean Dever and Adrian Monroe

Second Team
Shorecrest sophomore Carter Osborne (1600)
Shorecrest senior Dillon Baker (300 Hurdles)
Shorewood junior Aldin Vojnikovic (High Jump)
Shorecrest senior Connor Wingo (Discus)
Shorecrest senior Mingure Dorjee (Javelin)
Shorewood 4x100 Relay team of Niko Frazier, Boyse Martinez, Nick Vincent, and David Fan

Honorable Mention
Shorecrest sophomore Keegan Lockler (400)
Shorecrest sophomore Carter Osborne (800)
Shorecrest senior Abiel Tekle (3200)
Shorecrest sophomore Joe Dexter (Pole Vault)
Shorewood sophomore Toshiaki Yamamura (long jump)

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Shorecrest, Shorewood All-Wesco-3A Girls’ Track and Field Athletes

First Team
Shorewood senior Miriam Mboya (100 and 200)
Shorecrest senior Elisa Ahern (100 Hurdles)
Shorecrest senior Emily Corona (High jump, Long Jump)
Shorecrest junior Nicole Harris (Pole Vault).
Shorecrest junior Mickey Greenburg, (Shot)
Shorecrest, freshman Onyie Chibuogwu (Discus)
Shorewood 4x100 Relay team of Monica Galyean, Jennifer Franklin, Bethany Smith and Miriam Mboya
Shorecrest 4x400 Relay team of Lynleigh Oliver, Amanda Banks, Niki Harris and Kathryn Andria-Habermann.

Second Team
Shorewood sophomore Monica Galyean (100)
Shorecrest junior Nicole Harris (200)
Shorewood senior Erin Johnson (800)
Shorecrest senior Elisa Ahern (Triple Jump)
Shorecrest 4x100 Relay team of Onyie Chibuogwu, Amanda Banks, Lynleigh Oliver and Nicole Harris

Honorable Mention
Shorewood junior Bethany Smith (200)
Shorecrest junior Kathryn Andria-Habermann, (400)
Shorewood junior Charlee Linton (3200)
Shorewood sophomore Megan Ransom (300 hurdles)
Shorecrest freshman Amanda Banks (Long Jump)
Shorewood senior Stacia Martineau (pole vault)
Shorewood senior Stephanie Goei (shot)
Shorewood junior Diandre Musikchart (discus)
Shorecrest senior Emily Corona (Javelin)
Shorewood 4x200 Relay team of Miram Mboya, Alex Burum, Salyna McDonald and Bethany Smith

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Shoreline students honored by Writers in the Classroom

Room Nine student Matthew Edwards, WITS teacher Rachel Kessler,
Photo by Sherry Edwards.
The Writers in the Schools program matches a local creative writer with a public elementary, middle or high school or hospital to design innovative and culturally relevant lesson plans that meet the goals of the participating classes while engaging students. The program invigorates both students and teachers with fresh ideas and encouragement.

A special reading was held on June 1-2 at the downtown Seattle public library with selected students reading their work. The readings featured 50 students from the 27 sites in the 2010-11 WITS program, including Lummi Nation School in Bellingham, three Port Townsend schools, and Seattle Children's Hospital, in addition to students from public elementary, middle, and high schools in Kent, Seattle, and Shoreline.

Lucy Gesinger, Room 9,
3rd grader
Shoreline Schools' students included in the selection:

Room Nine Community School, Shoreline:  Matthew Edwards, Rachel Kessler.
Shorecrest High School, Shoreline - student not identified

About Writers in the Schools (WITS): Seattle Arts and Lectures' Writers in the Schools (WITS) program, founded in 1994, believes that through working collaboratively with classroom teachers and professional, published creative writers, students are empowered to become authors of their own lives. WITS writers-in-residence provide a meaningful role model for every student. Since 1994, the program has served 67,500 K-12 public school students and 1,200 teachers in the Puget Sound region.


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