Shoreline School Board, January 9, 2012

Saturday, January 14, 2012

By Devon Vose Rickabaugh

Achievement Gap data
Shoreline School Board met January 9th and heard achievement gap data presented by Dr Jack Monpas-Huber. There is less difference between African American students and Caucasian students graduating and going to college than with Hispanic students in the district. Director Nicholson asked about programs directed at helping Hispanic students. The directors agreed to gather information about programs to close the achievement gap.

Shoreline Virtual Learning program
Shoreline Virtual Learning (SVL) program was updated by Teri Poff and Brian Schultz. The district is partnering with Spokane School District in a web-based instructor-led program. The Spokane teachers have written, taught and tested the program and will be providing the instruction initially. Poff stressed the program is starting slowly to see how it works in the district. For now a student will have to carry a full load of classes in order to take one virtual class. Superintendent Sue Walker said that the statistics on success of Virtual learning are “grim”. She advocated taking it slowly.

Student Smoking Policy
The board voted to approve a minor change to the student smoking policy wherein a first offense for a student using tobacco in an unauthorized place will not include suspension. Rather it will mean a “conference with students and/or parents, notify parent of offense, notify Drug/Alcohol Specialist of offense; and/or disciplinary action (non-suspension).”

Tree cutting at Shorecrest
Director Jacobs said he’d gotten several calls from the community concerned about the cutting down of four large sequoias at Shorecrest High School over the recent holiday. Superintendent Walker said that the design for the new school made it necessary to remove the trees, but that the board had not been informed when it would happen. “It’s definitely a loss and we’re committed to restoring something similar to the area."



Read more...

Letter to the Editor: Shoreline's '3rd' Middle School

To the Editor:

I'd like to raise awareness in the community about Shoreline's "3rd" Middle School - Room Nine K-8's "Journey." In 2010, President Barack Obama announced a new goal of recruiting 10,000 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teachers over the next two years. Since then, two teachers at Room Nine Community School (Rebecca Drury and Michael Callahan) became certified to implement the STEM curriculum at Room Nine.

The result is a "joining together" of two educational trends that the experts are advocating: K-8 education and bringing our kids into the 21st century with strong exposure to technology and engineering. Both a 2010 Columbia Graduate School research article and a recent Harvard University study found that high school achievement is higher in kids that attend K-8 schools and was more effective than stand alone middle schools in preparing kids for high school.

Now, the experts in education policy circles are making a case for adding the Arts to STEM to create STEAM. This is exactly what Room Nine has already done. The Journey school's curriculum includes an emphasis on the written and visual arts as well as social studies, foreign language and environmental awareness. Here is a small sample of what and who our Journey class has experienced so far this year: creating GameMaker video games, working with Boeing Flight School engineers, creating C02 cars using their new woodworking machinery equipment, taking a field trip to 826 Seattle to write about Space Travel, and using Google SketchUp to design buildings.

Room Nine K-8 Community School sounds like a private school, but in fact is a "Choice" school in the Shoreline School District. With a committed staff and involved and positive parent community, we are creating a warm, supportive and academic environment in which our kids are thriving. We are truly, "The Little School That Could"

Malya Muth
Room 9 Parent



Read more...

Shorecrest diver has top 3A score in state

Shorecrest diver Aaron Moss leads state 3A competitors in a compilation reported Thursday by our news partner, The Seattle Times.

Boys swimming and diving state leaders

Leading boys’ swimming and diving performances reported to Washington Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association, through Jan. 7:

Class 4A
50-yard freestyle — Lackman, Stadium, 22.08.
100 free — Edward Kim, Eastlake, 47.94.
200 free — Weiner, Central Kitsap, 1:44.00.
500 free — Weiner, Central Kitsap, 4:45.69.
100 backstroke — Edward Kim, Eastlake, 52.51.
100 breaststroke — VanHoof, Enumclaw, 1:01.06.
100 butterfly — Edward Kim, Eastlake, 52.75.
200 individual medley — Edward Kim, Eastlake, 1:57.84.
Diving — Labeda-Sutton, South Kitsap, 422.95.
200 medley relay — Stadium, 1:41.81.
200 free relay — Stadium, 1:31.93.
400 free relay — Stadium, 3:23.72.

Class 3A
50 freestyle — Weiss, Mercer Island, 22.14.
100 free — Signorelli, Mercer Island, 48.28.
200 free — McCarthy, Bainbridge, 1:46.03.
500 free — McCarthy, Bainbridge, 4:45.02.
100 backstroke — McCarthy, Bainbridge, 54.66.
100 breaststroke — Raymond Ha, Liberty, 1:01.27.
100 butterfly — McCarthy, Bainbridge, 53.80.
200 individual medley — Briggs, Liberty, 1:56.65.
Diving — Aaron Moss, Shorecrest, 346.8.
200 medley relay — Mercer Island, 1:39.48.
200 free relay — 1, Bainbridge, 1:31.39.
400 free relay — Bainbridge, 3:18.92.

Class 2A
50 free — Mitchell, Mark Morris, 22.59.
100 free — Mitchell, Mark Morris, 49.67.
200 free — Sholdra, Renton, 1:47.16.
500 free — Sholdra, Renton, 4:45.51.
100 back — Avery, Sehome, 54.75.
100 breast — Christopher Li, Pullman, 1:03.98.
100 fly — Sholdra, Renton, 52.47.
200 IM — Sholdra, Renton, 1:59.90.
Diving — Whitmore, Naches, 308.6.
200 medley relay — Sehome, 1:43.02.
200 free relay — Sehome, 1:33.48.
400 free relay — Sehome, 3:29.85.

Read more...

Red Cross safety tips for the cold and snowy weather

With cold temperatures and snow expected over the weekend and next week, the American Red Cross urges Puget Sound residents to get prepared.

Exposure to cold and snow can cause injury or serious illness such as frostbite or hypothermia, and as temperatures drop, people may resort to alternative heat sources, which can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning or fires. The Red Cross offers these tips to stay safe in the cold weather:

At home:
  • Use generators correctly – never operate a generator inside the home, including the basement or garage. Do not hook up a generator directly to the home's wiring. The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment needed directly to the outlets on the generator.
  • Prevent frozen pipes - when the weather is very cold outside, open cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around water pipes. Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes.
  • Don’t forget family pets – bring them indoors. If that’s not possible, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they can get to unfrozen water.
  • Avoid using a stove or oven to heat the home. Keep a glass or metal fire screen around the fireplace and never leave a fireplace fire unattended.
  • If using a space heater, place it on a level, hard, nonflammable surface. Turn the space heater off when leaving the room or going to sleep. Keep children and pets away from the space heater and do not use it to dry wet clothing.

On the road:
  • Carry an emergency preparedness kit in the trunk.
  • Keep the car's gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing.
  • If someone does get stuck, stay with the car. Do not try to walk to safety.
  • Start the car and use the heater for about 10 minutes every hour. Keep the exhaust pipe clear so fumes won't back up in the car.
  • Leave the overhead light on when the engine is running to help rescuers see the vehicle.
  • Keep one window away from the blowing wind slightly open to let in air.

Out in the cold:
  • Dressing in several layers of lightweight clothing keeps someone warmer than a single heavy coat.
  • Mittens provide more warmth to the hands than gloves. Wear a hat, preferably one that covers the ears.
  • Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep feet warm and dry and to maintain one’s footing in ice and snow.

For more safety tips or to purchase a disaster kit for your home or vehicle, please visit Seattle Red Cross.

The American Red Cross is a non-profit, humanitarian agency dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world.



Read more...

Seattle City Light and renewable energy - join the forum

Seattle City Light launched its Community Energy Forum on January 11, 2012 and is seeking customer volunteers to provide monthly feedback on a variety of energy issues.

“We are a public, customer-owned utility,” City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco said. “It’s important to have our customers engaged and giving us their views. Their opinions will help inform our strategic plan today and for years to come.”

Initially, the utility is asking customers about its renewable energy efforts. City Light was the first utility in the country to achieve carbon neutral operations in 2005 by offsetting all it greenhouse gas emissions. City Light continues to be the only utility to achieve that status. The utility also leads the nation in the percentage of its power that comes from renewable resources.

Customers interested in being part of the online Community Energy Forum should go online to fill out a short questionnaire. 

The forum is being managed by Vision Critical, a leading global market research firm that works with more than 600 global brands. The forums will be highly interactive, giving City Light residential and business customers the opportunity to weigh in on a wide variety of issues facing the utility. Forum participants will receive feedback from the utility on results of monthly forum panel responses.

For more information, contact a Seattle City Light energy advisor at 684-3800.



Read more...

Shoreline student in PNB's Don Quixote


Rehearsals for the American premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote are in full swing at Pacific Northwest Ballet.  (Click here for a 30 second promo on YouTube.)

"Brimming with wit and romance, Don Q follows Spain’s legendary hero Don Quixote and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, to the famed city of Barcelona on a quest for his dream lover, Dulcinea. Instead, he meets the high-spirited Kitri whose father would rather she marry a rich fool than the penniless but dashing Basilio. The couple takes flight and their adventures, reflected by the Don’s visions, fill the stage with teaming street life, the cadence of castanets and tambourines, flashing fans, and whirling matadors.
"Emmy Award-winning actor Tom Skerritt (“Picket Fences”) – who, in addition to roles in such films as Top Gun, Alien and Steel Magnolias, played a former ballet dancer in the hit film The Turning Point -- makes his ballet debut in the lead role of Don Quixote. His devoted squire, Sancho Panza, will be played by Allen Galli, familiar to Seattle audiences from 30 years of appearances with every major local theatre company, including a previous stint as Sancho Panza in Village Theatre’s Man of La Mancha."

A Shoreline student will be part of all this excitement.

Sue Ellen Zhang, a 6th grader at Ridgecrest Elementary, is one of only 24 children selected to perform in this production. She will appear in Act 2, playing one of the cupid children.

Don Quixote runs February 3-12 at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall.  Tickets online at PNB.




Read more...

Burn ban lifted in Puget Sound

Just in time for the snowfall, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has lifted the burn ban.

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency 1-14-2012


So if your power goes out, you can build a fire with a moderately clear conscience that the smoke will disperse.

Wood fires are still a source of health concerns to the Clean Air Agency.
Smoke from fireplaces and wood stoves and from backyard and land-clearing burn piles is composed of fine particles and a toxic mix of other carcinogens that are hazardous to human health. Fine particles are associated with serious health effects, as the tiny size of these pollutants allows them to be easily inhaled, bypassing the immune system and proceeding deep into your lungs, where they can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including premature death.

Read more...

Photo: Volcano-red sky

Red sunset. Photo by Lee Lageschulte.

Lee Lageschulte took this view of a volcano-red sunset from Shoreline, overlooking Puget Sound, on January 13, 2012.



Read more...

Destinations: Tacoma Home and Garden Show January 25-29 at Tacoma Dome

Over 1,000 exhibits, the new "Vintage Market," spectacular display gardens, a kitchen and bath showcase and a full schedule of "how-to" seminars headline the big line-up at the 29th annual Tacoma Home and Garden Show, January 25 to January 29 at the Tacoma Dome.


The state's largest combined home and garden event is bigger than ever -- introducing visitors to a huge range of products and services available to help with all their home, indoor and outdoor decorating and improvement needs.

New to the show is the "Vintage Market," with repurposed and "shabby-chic" treasures for the garden and home from over 30 local vendors. This new shopping area within the show includes unusual and one-of-a-kind home décor items, vintage signage, furniture, garden art and more.

Two new idea-generating showcase kitchens will be created under the dome by the Puget Sound Chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Sponsored by Viking, this display spotlights the latest generation of appliances, cabinetry and labor-saving features. Gardeners will be inspired by the feature gardens created by top area landscape contractors, including SK Landscaping, Marenakos Rock Center, and the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals.


The show also assists home and garden do-it-yourselfers by offering around-the-clock seminars presented by some of the region's top experts. Some of the first-class speakers sharing their tips in presentations during the five day show include Ciscoe Morris, Marianne Binetti, Marty Wingate, Melinda Myers and others.

Show hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday (January 25 and 26); 
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (January 27 and 28)
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday (January 29).

Admission to the show is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62 and older) weekdays only, free (with ID) for American Horticulture Society Members and free to children 16 and under. Two Day Passes are $16 for adults and $12 for seniors. Weekday Discount Coupons are available online.



Read more...

SCC Men's Basketball loses 111-99 game to North Seattle

SCC Men’s Basketball Coach Greg Turcott
could not find the answers on Wednesday night.
Photo by Wilson Tsoi
The SCC Men's Basketball Team dropped a tough 111-99 game to the North Seattle Storm on Wednesday night at NSCC. The Dolphins had a 3 point lead at half-time but North Seattle came out hot to open the second half and took a 10 point lead in just the openings minutes of that period. SCC fought back to tie the game but NSCC took control again in the later stages for the win.

SCC only shot 36.1% for the game, while the Storm hit 50% of their shots and SCC was out rebounded 59-48.

SCC was lead by Avery Scharer with 18 points, 5 steals and 6 assists. Reuben Donaldson scored 14, Earlie Dixon 13 and Will Acromite 12 for the Dolphins and Joe Bodman had 14 rebounds.

SCC falls to 8-6 overall and 2-1 in the NWAACC Northern Region. North Seattle improves to 7-6 on the year and 2-1 in the region. SCC and NSCC are tied for 4th place in the region. The top four teams in the region make the NWAACC Championship.

SCC plays Whatcom Community College on Saturday in Bellingham at 7:00 PM. Whatcom is 10-2 overall and 2-0 in the region. The Orcas are also ranked #7 in the NWAACC.


Read more...

SCC Women's Basketball Drops 64-58 Game To North Seattle

Gnanamani Hooyman scored 12 points in NSCC game
Photo by Wilson Tsoi
The Lady Dolphin Basketball Team was outscored 25 to 8 at the free throw line and dropped a 64-58 game to North Seattle CC on Wednesday at NSCC. The Lady Dolphins led 30-27 at half-time but could not hold on to the lead and dropped their second NWAACC Northern Region game of the season to the Storm.

SCC had a balanced attack, with Gnanamani Hooyman leading the way with 12 points, Tess Cathey added 11 and Jenny Voss 10 points. Voss also had 5 steals and 8 assists while Kaleigh Phillips grabbed 8 rebounds to lead SCC in that category.

SCC is now 7-5 overall and 1-2 in the NWAACC Northern Region. North Seattle improves to 3-8 on the year and 1-2 in the region. SCC and NSCC are now tied for 5th place in the region. SCC travels to Bellingham, WA on Saturday to play the Whatcom Community College Lady Orcas at 5:00 PM. Whatcom is 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the region.



Read more...

WeatherWatcher: snow in the forecast

  • Burn Ban status.
  • Winter weather this weekend.
  • Winter weather next week.
  • The bottom line.

Burn Ban Stage 1:
A stage 1 burn ban is still in effect. However the air quality is expected to improve after midnight tonight, so I believe the burn ban will be lifted by tomorrow afternoon. For more information check out the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency

Winter weather this weekend:
Most forecasters are leaning towards a snow event starting Saturday afternoon and lasting at least through Tuesday, maybe longer. Cold air is going to start flowing down behind a cold front Saturday afternoon, however there will not be enough moisture for a wide spread event, there will be hit or miss showers, and a possible convergence zone band. Accumulations through Sunday night are expected to be 0-2 inches, except locally higher if the Puget Sound Convergence zone develops, it could possibly move over Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, if it does, we could maybe see up to 6 inches or more. However it is a big if, and there is a great deal of uncertainty with this event.

Next week:
A lot of forecast models are being inconsistent for next week. Some point to a change back to rainy weather starting Tuesday evening, however others point to a snowy pattern lasting beyond the 5 day forecasts. Meteorologists are talking about a storm track that depending on exactly where it goes, could make the difference between a series of snow storms, or a series of regular pacific northwest rain storms. It's all dependent on exactly how far south the main track flows for the next week and beyond, and normally it is very predictable, however for the next couple weeks there is a huge deal of uncertainty.

The bottom line:
No winter weather advisories have yet been issued, or storm warnings, however please be prepared for winter weather. Conditions are "ripe" for a series of snow storms to hit our region, especially if we get convergence zone systems set up over North King and South Snohomish County's. Shoreline and Lake Forest Park could easily get hit locally hard by this one. Neighborhoods close to the Puget Sound and Lake Washington may not see as much snow as the hills as both bodies of water right now are still warm. I will continue to provide updates as this situation develops.

For information and tips on winter weather preparedness for Western Washington, check out the Take Winter by Storm website




Read more...

Ridgecrest Neighborhood hosts successful food drive

Friday, January 13, 2012

Non-perishable food
Photo by Patty Hale
By Patty Hale

The Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association would like to thank everyone who participated in the Ridgecrest Food Drive for HopeLink food bank over the holidays.

Your efforts helped to make a difference for families in our community.

2011 was a tough year for the Food Bank. Donations were down and need was up. Neighborhood donations helped to stock the shelves with 661 pounds of non-perishable food, valued at almost a thousand dollars.

Local espresso shops Cafe Aroma and Java Jolt were perfect partners for the collection effort. With their drive-up windows, making a donation for HopeLink was as easy as ordering a cup of coffee.

If you did not have an opportunity to make a non-perishable food donation, or would like to make additional donations, you can do so year-round at:

HopeLink
15809 Westminster Way N
Shoreline WA 98133
206-440-7300
Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 5 pm


Read more...

Bus riders: Metro wants input to help plan RapidRide line from Shoreline to Green Lake

Metro RapidRide bus

In 2013, King County Metro Transit will be introducing RapidRide line "E," and is looking for your input to finalize the routing.

The RapidRide "E" Line will connect Shoreline and North Seattle neighborhoods with downtown Seattle, with 10- to 15-minute frequency most of the day, seven days a week.

Here's how you can provide your input:

1. They are hosting an open house to provide information, answer questions, and get feedback on options and the overall route design and stop locations:

Wednesday, Jan. 25
6-8 pm
Green Lake Presbyterian Church
6318 Linden Ave N, Seattle

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, or interpreters for people with limited English, are available upon request by calling 206-263-1154. TTY Relay: 711

2. Online survey: by Friday, February 17 visit their “Have a Say” website  to complete the E survey.

3. Email them your comments and suggestions.

4. Call their message line at 206-263-9768 (English) or 206-263-9988 (Espanol).

RapidRide is a different type of Metro service that includes newly designed buses, shelters and signs. The distinctive red-and-yellow buses are energy efficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles with low floors and three doors for easier, faster boarding. Metro’s A Line between Tukwila and Federal Way debuted in 2010, and the B Line connecting Bellevue and Redmond rolled out in 2011. The C and D lines – serving Ballard and West Seattle – will begin this coming September.


Read more...

Shorewood wrestlers head for Saturday tournament after 40-22 home loss to Marysville-Getchell Thursday

The Shorewood wrestling team competes in a tournament Saturday in Tacoma after a 40-22 home dual-meet loss to Marysville-Getchell Thursday.

The Saturday tournament at Foss High School begins at 9:30 a.m. and lasts into the evening,

The loss to Marysville Getchell dropped Shorewood’s dual-meet record to 2-4 in the Western Conference 3A division and 7-6 overall.

Rikio Campbell of Shorewood scored a major decision over his Marysville-Getchell opponent at 132 pounds, Edom Tesfaye at 126 and David Ball at 152 won by decision, and Mathew Floresca at 120 and Aaren Wansley at 160 won by forfeit.

The Thunderbirds climbed out to an early 22-10 lead behind Ball's 7-6 victory over Zach Perkins of Marysville-Getchell in a battle of senior captains. However, it was all Getchell in the upper weights as the Chargers won the last seven matches.

Marysville Getchell 40, Shorewood 22

113: Louis Cardona, MG, dec. Alex Lee, SW, 8-3
120: Mathew Floresca, SW, won by Forfeit
126: Edom Tesfaye, SW, dec. Wells, MG, 6-2
132: Rikio Campbell, SW, maj. dec. Knowlton, MG, 13-2
138: Daniel Resnikov, MG, maj dec. Ian Ducey, SW, 14-4
145: Alex Norton, MG, dec. Braden Kalloway, SW, 14-13
152: David Ball, SW, dec. Perkins, MG, 7-6
160: Aaren Wansley, SW, won by forfeit
170: Cody Stonem MG, dec. Sam Jang, SW, 11-7
182: Brad Hoffenbacker, MG, dec. Isaac Brenglemann, SW, 6-1
195: Eugene Marcus, MG, pinned Esteban Zenteno, SW, 1:46
220: Dylan Smith, MG, won by Forfeit
285: Alfredo Diaz, MG, pinned Erica Erdenabayar, SW, 0:34
106: Rashad Abu-Al-Halaweh, MG, won by forfeit.


Read more...

Backyard Birds: Bushtit

Christine Southwick has a lot of birds in her backyard, but these little bushtits are arguably the cutest. See her article on them in For the Birds.

Bushtit on birdbath
Photo by Christine Southwick

Bushtits in birdbath.
Photo by Hal Fennema




Read more...

David Hidalgo and Louie Perez of Los Lobos at Edmonds Center for the Arts

40-year partnership delivers songwriting gems
Hidalgo and Perez of Los Lobos


Meet the musical masters behind the music of roots rock group Los Lobos as songwriters David Hidalgo and Louie Perez bring a special acoustic performance to Edmonds Center for the Arts Friday January 13 at 7:30PM. Tickets are available online or by phone 425-275-9595. Ticket prices are $35-$40, $15 youth. Additional service fees apply.

Hidalgo and Perez
David and Louie became friends in high school and began writing songs together after school. They went on to form Los Lobos and released their first recorded music in 1978, an independent EP. 

During their early years, they developed their particular hybrid of traditional regional Mexican folk music, rock and roll, blues and RandB, although Los Lobos eventually made a move in the early 80s to turn up the volume and embraced a more rock sound. 

The band’s success quickly grew, thanks in part to their involvement in the 1987 biopic “La Bamba”, about 1950s Chicano music star Richie Valens. Rather than continuing on the rock path, however, Los Lobos returned to their Mexican music roots and have continued to deliver solid, diverse recordings and stunning live shows.

To fill time in between Los Lobos projects, David and Louie have performed as the Latin Playboys, releasing two albums under that moniker: Latin Playboys (1994) and Dose (1999). 40 years after their partnership began, the two friends are treating audiences to a songwriting showcase and acoustic performance to celebrate the release of their latest CD, The Long Goodbye, a collection of unreleased songs and rare recordings.

Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA), is a non-profit performing arts facility located in picturesque downtown Edmonds, Washington. Housed in the historic original Edmonds High School building, ECA was remodeled and opened in October 2006 to be a cultural resource for the Puget Sound region through performing arts presentations, community partnerships and education outreach programs.



Read more...

The new 32nd District

The 32nd Legislative District is one of the state legislative districts which sends two representative and a senator to the state legislature in Olympia.

Every ten years, after the federal census, the state legislative districts and congressional districts are redrawn to try to balance them by population. A committee is appointed, and numerous hearings are held all over the state for a year.  Each time, there are special issues which are important to voters that the committee tries to satisfy.

This year, one of the issues was to create legislative districts where ethnic minorities would be in the majority.  This was satisfied with the creation of the 15th legislative district in Yakima. It is called a "minority majority" district, with slightly over 50% Latino population.

Perennial issues focus on geography and the difficulty of holding district meetings when the district includes travel through and around snow-capped mountains, flooding rivers, and national parks.

Closer to home, the main issue of the 32nd district has been to avoid being overwhelmed by Seattle issues. In the previous redistricting a decade ago, 32nd politicos were very concerned about crossing county lines into Edmonds, fearing that issues would be very different in the two counties.

However, as 32nd district Democratic leader Elaine Phelps testified in one of the public hearings, smaller cities and towns have far more in common with each other than they do with the large cities that dominate their counties. The 32nd has functioned harmoniously with citizens from Finn Hill to Edmonds to LFP and Shoreline, with no apparent conflicts of interest from town to town.



Now, the new 32nd legislative district severs Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, leaves Shoreline completely in the 32nd, includes a northwest Seattle neighborhood, all of Woodway, and heads north through Edmonds (but not all), to include Lynnwood. Lake Forest Park and Kenmore are now in the 46th Legislative District.

Current legislators will serve the districts they were elected to, but will need to run in their new districts or move when they are up for re-election, as legislators are required to live in the districts they serve.

Sen. Maralyn Chase lives in Edmonds, Rep. Cindy Ryu lives in Shoreline, and are both within the old and new 32nd District. However, Rep. Ruth Kagi lives in Lake Forest Park, now part of the 46th legislative district.

Rep. Kagi plans to move to the new 32nd district and run for election to hold her seat in the 32nd. According to an article in the Weekly Herald, Kagi said she would move this spring and has been trying to sell her Lake Forest Park home for three years.

“It is a big place for a single woman and her dog,” she said. “It will be a big change, after living in Lake Forest Park for 42 years.”

Read more...

For the Birds: Bushtit - puffs of active fluff

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Bushtit on winter seedpod
Photo by Maggie Bond
By Christine Southwick

One brave little bird flies across an open space between a shrub and nearby tree, and calls for the others to follow, which they do one or two at a time, accompanied by flock-wide encouragement.

You have just witnessed the typical movements of a foraging flock of Bushtits. 

These tiny gray birds with brownish foreheads have a tail almost as long as their body, and barely weigh more than a nickel.

They flit around the edges of western forests with open canopy, and in shrubby suburban areas. Their range has expanded as mature forests have become fragmented.

Bushtits travel in gregarious groups of about 40 birds, communicating all the time, searching twigs and leaves for spiders and other tiny insects. With their upside-down probing, they almost best the acrobatic chickadees, which sometimes tag along with the winter flock. 

Bushtit suetfeeder. Photo by Dow Lambert
It is a real treat to see your suet feeder covered in little puffs of fluff, chattering away, never quite still. If you see one or two with white irises, you have spotted the female(s).

Their nests are a marvel, looking like a foot-long wind-sock hanging vertically from a tree fork anywhere between 4-50 feet up. The outside of their nests are made out of spider webs, moss and lichen, with a fur, feather, and plant material lining. Both parents claim a loose territory and make the nest for 4-10 eggs, with two openings: one on the side near the top, and one at the bottom, a passageway to the nest chamber. Sometimes there may be a helper, which is usually a male. Bushtits can have up to two broods a year, but will abandon a nest if they are disturbed before eggs are laid.

Bushtit nest. 1915.
The Bird Book
An interesting fact is that an entire Bushtit family will all sleep in the nest until the young have fledged; after that they sleep on branches. During the winter, they will often huddle together for warmth.

Bushtits seem to have a regular feeding route, often arriving in specific bushes or feeders the same time in the summer; the schedule seems to shift in the winter, but they are still there.

So, when you hear the moving twittering of a flock of Bushtits, grab that cup of coffee, and stand where you can watch them as they cover a suet feeder, constantly moving about, seemingly in friendly agreement. We humans could learn sociability from the diminutive Bushtit.

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 is sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.


Read more...

City of Shoreline Recreation Guide “Choose the Cover” photo contest

From Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services

Have you submitted your photo for the City of Shoreline’s Spring/Summer 2012 Recreation Guide Cover Contest? 

We have received some great photos already but there is still time to submit your entry. 

Contest closes January 27th. 

Digital images can be submitted online, by mail or by dropping off a CD clearly marked with entrant’s name along with a completed entry form.  For more information, contact Sheryle Harp at 206-801-2623.



Read more...

Sheridan Beach residents to meet with Seattle City Light

Seattle City Light is planning a maintenance project to extend the life of underground electrical cables in Lake Forest Park.

The work involves a process to inject the cables with silicon, which spreads to fill cracks in the insulation. Rubber connectors around the wires are replaced.

City Light believes that this process will extend the life of the cables by 20 years.

The utility has completed 17 neighborhoods. The next planned area of work is in the cables that serve the Sheridan Beach neighborhood.

Planned outages are required for the work. Customers will be notified on the Thursday afternoon prior to the next week’s planned outages via a door hanger on the front door. Outages typically last eight hours. Outages will not occur on consecutive days. The maximum number of outages you might experience during this phase of the project is usually no more than three. Many times work will be completed with one outage.

Seattle City Light is hosting a community meeting Tuesday January 17, 2012 for Sheridan Beach customers to learn about the project. The meeting will be held in the Stadler Room of Third Place Commons, next to Kitto's Restaurant.

Third Place is on the upper level of LFP Towne Centre at the intersection of Ballinger and Bothell Way.




Read more...

Real Deals: pay what you can yoga

Every Friday night at the Shoreline Bikram Yoga at The SweatBox, the 6:45pm class is "pay-what-you-can."

We did this because so many people were struggling financially. Basically, anyone can practice for any amount. No questions asked.

West side of Aurora at 200th, across from Costco.


Anyone else aware of any other "real deals"?  Let us know.

Read more...

Shorecrest girls play at Mountlake Terrace Friday after 68-38 home victory over Oak Harbor Wednesday

The Shorecrest girls’ basketball team takes a 7-1 Wesco 3A record (10-2 overall) into a game at Mountlake Terrace Friday after a 68-38 home victory over Oak Harbor Wednesday.

Shorecrest and Mountlake Terrace (2-7 Wesco 3A, 4-9 overall) meet at 7:15 p.m. Friday at Mountlake Terrace High School, with junior varsity teams from the two schools meeting at 5:40. 

In Shorecrest’s 68-38 victory over Oak Harbor, the Scots led 20-7 after the first quarter, 43-20 at halftime and 59-31 after three quarters before easing to victory in the final period, Senior Bri Lasconia led Shorecrest with 20 points, followed by fellow senior Janie Uppinghouse with 16. The Shorecrest junior varsity (3-5, 3-9) defeated Oak Harbor 23-22.

Lasconia leads the Scots in season scoring with 174 points in 12 games for an average of 14.5 points per game. Senior India Matheson has 132 points in 11 games for an average of 12.0. 

The Scots’ victory over Oak Harbor kept them on pace with Glacier Peak, which leads the Wesco 3A with an 8-1 record (11-2 overall). 

Shorecrest 68, Oak Harbor 38 
At Shorecrest High School, Wednesday, Jan. 12

Oak Harbor      7 13 11 7 -- 38 
Shorecrest      20  23 16 9 -- 68

Shorecrest Scoring
Points
Onyie Chibuogwu
9
Keegan Monson
6
Mickey Greenburg
5
Annie Schlachter
5
Allison Jones
3
Brianne Lasconia
20
Kathryn Lindsey
2
Lindsey Shattuck
2
Janie Uppinghouse
16
Haley Magaoay
0
Shorecrest Season Scoring
Player

Games
Points
P/G
Brianne Lasconia

12
174
14.5
India Matheson

11
132
12.0
Janie Uppinghouse

12
110
9.2
Onyie Chibuogwu

12
103
8.6
Mickey Greenburg

12
35
2.9
Lindsey Shattuck

11
25
2.3
Annie Schlachter

11
22
2.0
Keegan Monson

11
20
1.8
Allison Jones

11
19
1.7
Kathryn Lindsey

8
3
0.4
Haley Magaoay

6
2
0.3

Read more...

Frank Workman on Sports: Bucket List

By Frank Workman

We’re all familiar with the concept of a Bucket List ….. things to do before we die.

Big things.

Things like climbing Mt. Rainier, or parachuting out of an airplane, or running a marathon.

Yeah, like that’ll ever happen.

Here’s something to put on your small-b bucket list.

If you can’t remember the last time you got out to watch a High School basketball game, the week ahead affords numerous opportunities to give even the casual fan in Shoreline and LFP a chance to fall back in love with a sport that may have been, at one time, a passion.

And what better way to rekindle an old flame than by being part of a packed gym, sitting among neighbors, friends, and acquaintances, while agile and athletic young people take your breath away with their high-flying acrobatic skills and displays of teamwork.

Friday night, the 13th, the undefeated Mountlake Terrace Hawks boys travel to Shorecrest to play the Scots, whose lone league defeat was to the Hawks. Tipoff is 7:15. While the Hawks have been mopping the floor with the opposition so far this year, the Scots figure to have something up their sleeve as they prepare for what could be a signature game for their seniors. The chance to watch SC senior Junior Chibuogwu is worth the $5 price of admission alone.

This Tuesday the SC girls renew their heated rivalry with defending District Champion Glacier Peak. The Scots escaped with a 2-point win in the Grizzlies’ gym last Friday on Janie Uppinghouse’s clutch free-throws with just over one second to play. Senior India Matheson will be conspicuously absent for several week from the Scots’ lineup as she has been knocked for a loop by an illness. Of these two teams’ last four games against each other, two have gone into Overtime, while the other two were decided in the final seconds.

If one was to go to only ONE girls basketball game this year, this could be the one to make.

On Saturday the 21st, local fans can attend Hoopapalooza III, the annual all-day affair between Shorecrest and Shorewood, hosted again this year by the T-Birds.

Both Shorewood teams are off to good starts this season. Alumna Nina Lowe’s girls have a winning record in league play, and they played the Scots tough all three times they met last season, while venerable coach Marv Morris’ boys have but a single loss to Terrace blemishing their league record.

Hoopapalooza, the brainchild of District Athletic Director Don Dalziel, is a full afternoon of girls and boys JV ball that gives way to the Varsity squads, as the girls face off at 5, followed by the boys at 7.

While both games will be televised locally on Comcast Ch. 26 (in Shoreline and LFP) by the Live Video Production Club, nothing compares to the sensation of being there, in a gym full of people yelling and screaming (and those are just the parents!), temperatures and emotions rising from the opening tip, amid a panoply of facial expressions on display as the drama heightens.

While getting out to watch a game may not compare with any of the aforementioned Bucket List items, it is a night out of the house for many (and a darn cheap one at that!) --- and it may just give you the impetus to make (or tackle) your list after all.



Read more...
ShorelineAreaNews.com
Facebook: Shoreline Area News
Twitter: @ShorelineArea
Daily Email edition (don't forget to respond to the Follow.it email)

  © Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP