Obituary: Former Einstein teacher Christine Marken

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Christine Marken, who taught English at Einstein Middle School from 1989 to 2004, passed away May 18 at age 68. Christine joined our District first as a teacher specialist in the high schools and taught English at Shoreline, Shorecrest and Shorewood before going to Einstein, where she taught creative writing, standard and advanced English classes and served as department chair. She retired in 2004.




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The 32nd Legislative District Democrats support Plastic Bag Ban in City of Shoreline

From the 32nd District Democrats


The Shoreline City Council will be considering a “ban” on “single-use” polyurethane plastic bags in 2012.  Protecting our environment is an extremely important value for Democrats and we are proud that two neighboring cities, Seattle and Edmonds have already passed bans on “single use” polyurethane plastic bags.
The 32nd District Democrats strongly support a “ban” on “single use” polyurethane plastic grocery bags and urge the Shoreline City Council to move forward and pass legislation to implement a ban. 
32nd Legislative District Democratic Organization Environmental Platform:

Like all parts of the web of life, we depend on clean air, clean water, and a healthy natural environment. The well-being of every nation requires intelligent management of population and growth, limiting of urban sprawl, and preservation of farmland, wildlife habitat, and natural resources. Accordingly, protective laws and regulations must be vigorously enforced, and strengthened where needed.


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Shorecrest, Shorewood boys and girls tennis teams all represented in State championships Friday and Saturday in Kennewick

The Shorecrest boys‘ and girls’ tennis teams and the Shorewood boys’ and girls’ teams all will have players in the State 3A championships Friday and Saturday in Kennewick.


Shorecrest will have a boy and a girl player in each of the 16-player singles tournaments. Shorewood will have a boys’ and a girls’ team in both of the 16-team doubles tournaments.

Competition will be at the Tri-City Court Club and at Kamiakin High School.

Juan Ramirez of Shorecrest, who won the Northwest District 3A boys’ singles championship in October, will meet a player from Mercer Island in the first round Friday at 10 a.m. at the Tri-City Court Club.

Miles Jamieson and Hunter Nelson of Shorewood, who also won a District championship in October, will meet a team from Mercer Island in the first round Friday at 8:30 a.m. at Kamiakin.

The Shorewood girls’ doubles team of Francesca O'Malley and Daniella Brenglemann, which won the District championship last week, will meet a team from Seattle Prep in the first round Friday at 10 a.m. at Kamiakin.

Meera Limaye of Shorecrest, runner up in the District girls’ singles championship last week, will meet a player from Camas in the first round Friday at 8:30 at the Court Club.



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Symetra Financial and Seattle Seahawks host 24 Symetra Heroes in the Classroom Recipients at CenturyLink Field celebration

Wednesday, May 23, 2012


Symetra Financial and Seattle Seahawks honor teachers from Shoreline School District
Photo by Larry Gill. See end of article for names and titles of those pictured

On Friday afternoon, May 18, 2012, Symetra Financial and the Seattle Seahawks honored the 24 Puget Sound-area teachers who were recognized as “Symetra Heroes in the Classroom” during the 2011 NFL season, at a special celebration at CenturyLink Field. 

Among the 2011 honorees were 9 Shoreline School District teachers, including:
  • Ali Airhart—Syre Elementary School
  • Tracy Anderson—Meridian Park Elementary School
  • Michael Callahan—Cascade K-8 Community School (formerly Room Nine Community School)
  • Anne Marie Culver—Kellogg Middle School
  • Diana Dillard—Shorewood High School
  • Jennifer Etter—Shorecrest High School
  • Kay Law—Ridgecrest Elementary School
  • Therese Russell—Brookside Elementary School
  • Marybeth Scherf—Lake Forrest Park Elementary School


Symetra CEO Tom Marra and Seahawks Vice President of Community Relations Mike Flood hosted a luncheon in the Coach’s Loft, welcoming the teachers, their school principals and special guests, including Seattle Public Schools Interim Superintendent Susan Enfield and Shoreline School District Superintendent Sue Walker.


Syre Elementary School second grade teacher—and 2011 Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient—Ali Airhart reacts to her “personalized” locker in the Seattle Seahawks locker room. Photo by Larry Gill.

Following lunch, the teachers received an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, which included taking in a view of the field from the press box. The festivities wrapped up in the Seahawks locker room, where each teacher was surprised with a “customized” locker complete with nameplate. Each teacher’s locker’s contents included a plaque commemorating his or her “Heroes” award, a hardcover book that captured moments from the 2011 classroom presentations,  and a copy of the May 18 edition of the Seattle Times, which featured a salute (p. C3) to all 24 Symetra Heroes in the Classroom recipients.

Seahawks Defensive End Red Bryant was a special guest speaker. Bryant shared a very personal story about Sue Brooks, an English teacher at Jasper High School in Texas. “As for a teacher who had an impact on my life, there’s no question, her name is Sue Brooks,” Bryant said. “The impact that she had on my life gave me the opportunity to be before you guys right now.” [Read more about Bryant and Sue Brooks.

Background-Symetra Heroes in the Classroom Program
Twenty-four K-12 teachers across the Puget Sound area were honored for educational excellence in the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program during the 2011 NFL season. Teachers from the Seattle, Shoreline and Renton public school districts were recognized in front of their students and peers at surprise in-school presentations. In addition, they received tickets to a Seahawks home game and were acknowledged during an on-field presentation at CenturyLink Field.

Teachers are nominated by their principal, district staff, student or student’s parent. The winners are selected based on their ability to balance the core curriculum with students’ individual needs; build trust among students, parents and the community; and invest in their students’ long-term success.

MVP Award
In addition to honoring exceptional teachers on and off the field, each of the schools represented by a 2011 teacher Hero was eligible for an MVP Award, which provides funding to enhance learning via an innovative student achievement program. Three $10,000 grants were awarded at the end of the 2011 football season to Dimmitt Middle School in Renton, Meridian Park Elementary School in Shoreline and Roxhill Elementary School in West Seattle.


Group photo: STANDING, left to right, Tom Marra, Symetra CEO; Sue Walker, superintendent, Shoreline School District; Tracy Anderson, Meridian Park Elementary School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; Amy Jessee, principal, Meridian Park Elementary School; Diana Dillard, Shorewood High School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; Michael Callahan, Cascade K-8 Community School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; Marybeth Scherf, Lake Forest Park Elementary School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; Jennifer Etter, Shorecrest High School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; Craig Degginger, public information officer, Shoreline Schools; Jim Pirak, Symetra SVP, Corporate Marketing.

KNEELING, left to right, Ali Airhart, Syre Elementary School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; Lisa Gonzalez Scott, principal, Kellogg Middle School; Anne Marie Culver, Kellogg Middle School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; Trinh Pham, principal, Cascade K-8 Community School; Aimee Miner, principal, Lake Forrest Park Elementary School; Therese Russell, Brookside Elementary School and Symetra Hero in the Classroom recipient; and Bill Dunbar, principal, Shorewood High School. Photo by Larry Gill



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Shoreline City Council Meeting May 21, 2012

Notes from Shoreline City Council Meeting May 21, 2012

By Devon Vose Rickabaugh

Tree Code
The City Council heard from the planning commission on their recommendations for revision of the tree code which has been under study for 2 years. Adoption of the revised codes is scheduled to occur at the June 11 council meeting. Senior Planner Paul Cohen said the commission recommended owners of larger properties be allowed to remove up to six trees without paying for permits, whereas smaller lots would be permitted to cut less trees. Also any tree over 30 inches in diameter would need a tree permit before removal and therefore could not be included in the six exempt trees allowed for removal by property owners.

Several members of the audience spoke on behalf of the proposed revisions. But residents with view property and high taxes said they wanted to be able to remove trees to retain their view. Several people desiring to put in solar panels wanted reassurances that retaining the tree canopy wouldn’t block the sun from their investment. Councilmember Solomon commented that a solar panel exemption would make sense to him. Senior Planner Cohen pointed out that it is hard to control your neighbor’s trees, but that the code is flexible enough to accommodate solar panels.

Traffic at The Blakeley on 192nd
Exacerbated by Aurora construction several irate residents of the Blakeley apartments for senior citizens off 192nd and Aurora complained about traffic obstructions into and out of the apartments onto 192nd where no one can turn east. When approaching the entrance from the west a “flower pot” has been placed the middle of 192nd they are forced to make a U-turn around it to get back to the entrance. One man said  “I have never seen such public works so public insensitive and to do it to seniors who often have handicapped stickers. It’s shameful .You need to act on that and correct it.” Deputy Mayor Eggen suggested city staff meet with the Blakely citizens.  Councilmember Solomon said after the meeting he and councilmember Roberts would go to the Blakely to see the situation for themselves. 



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Classic cars: Twin brothers, twin cars

Richmond Beach native Scott Anderson responded to the invitation to share stories of beloved cars with this wonderful story about his father, his father's twin brother and their cars.


By Scott Anderson

As they say, a car can be restored any number of times but it’s only an original once.

This reminds me of another set of originals I once knew. The cars, 1950 Pontiacs. The brothers, a couple of identical twin blonde farm boys named Jim and Jack. While sitting on a dock fishing in Poulsbo one afternoon 13 days short of their 19th birthdays, they heard some news about a harbor in Hawaii being bombed by the Japanese. Often already dressing identically – sometimes even by accident- they soon found themselves in matching clothes of a darker shade of green than the car below, and spent the next years watching out for each other through some very interesting times.

1950 Pontiac steering wheel and dash

In 1950 they each bought a car – on the same day, at the same time, they walked into the same dealership and ordered two identical cars be to built. Dark green Pontiacs. They’d have the Silver Streak model please, the one with the chromed Streaks on top of the hood leading straight down to the hood ornament bust of Chief Pontiac himself; it even lit up at night. By day the prism on the dashboard lit up in hues of green, yellow, and red to echo the traffic light because the visor was so low – much like the brim of the mens’ fedoras. Even the license numbers differed only by the last digit. Never – and I do mean never – would they go out on the town, these men and their machines, but the cars were clean, polished (it’s Simonized!) and looking as sharp as the creases pressed in their doublebreasted suits.

Louise, an Army colonel’s daughter, meanwhile was returning from Europe through Seattle and answering a girl named Margie’s ad for a room mate wanted. As luck would have it, Margie was seeing Jack, and since neither Jack’s brother nor her friend and room mate were attached, a double date seemed a good idea. One date lead to another, and soon Jim and Jack became Jim and Louise and Jack and Margie. They were more identical than would seem plausible to those that didn’t know them but the passing years don’t alter the many ‘TwinThings’ that really happened. For example the time the usually very popular Jack’s longshore coworkers in Everett suddenly shunned him because he’d been seen walking in Seattle at the World’s Fair with an obviously ‘expecting’ woman who was Not - His - Wife. Only a lunchtime trip home to retrieve a photo album restored Order on the Waterfront through the phrase “Oh that must have been my twin”.

Lighted hood ornament of Chief Pontiac
As the years went by Jim and Louise had a son, who himself often couldn’t tell his dad from his uncle.  But the sound of that big GM straight eight motor echoing off the garage walls early in the morning or late at night – that was something he could tell anytime from any other sound. In the morning it was the starting gun for the race to the window for a glimpse of a proud fender disappearing round the corner, and in the night it was the knowledge that all was right with the world filtering through a little boy’s cowboy dreams.

They’re gone now – the handsome men, the gleaming green Pontiacs, and the panache of their times. But the son does remember sitting up so high in the front seat of Jim’s car, feeling the firmness of the padded mohair upholstery and yet oddly the springs beneath it too, barely able to peer over the large radio speaker in the center of the dashboard … I’d love to say that even then I knew there was something special about those days, but its magic was something as beyond the grasp of so young a boy as that huge steering wheel in my little hands when I was once even allowed to “drive”. Still it’s a friendly shadow, something of a time I carry with me that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

Thanks for coming along, I hope you enjoyed your ride!


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Shoreline Farmers Market - June 16 through October 6


The Shoreline Farmers Market will be open for business every Saturday from 10am to 3pm from June 16th until October 6th at Shoreline City Hall. 

The market will feature a great selection of local, organic and artisan goods such as; fruits and veggies, baked goods, dairy, wine, coffee, ice cream, etc. They will also offer a small rotating selection of home and garden crafts throughout the season including garden tools, soaps and others. 

The Shoreline Farmers Market will feature local non-profit organizations as a part of their education efforts in the community as well. There will be music, chef demos and other fun events for the whole family throughout the season.

There will be community access to Shoreline’s City Hall building for restrooms and other facilities on Saturdays during the market. Parking is convenient as well and will be located on the ground floor of the City Hall Parking Garage. Getting to City Hall is also convenient via the 301 and 358 metro, the Interurban Trail, and along the newly revitalized Aurora Corridor.

The Shoreline Farmers Market Association is still looking for volunteers for the market season as well as people who may be interested in playing music or helping with family style events such as face painting and other contests.

If you are interested in this or any other opportunity involving the market, please contact the SFMA through email and their website, and be sure to “Like” their Facebook page for updates during the market season. If you are curious about who will be vending at the Shoreline Farmers Market, this information is also on their website.



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Holyrood Catholic Cemetery Celebrates Memorial Day 2012



Holyrood Catholic Cemetery in Shoreline will commemorate Memorial Day by honoring those who have served our country as well as remembering all who have died. The cemetery grounds are open 7:00am to 8:00pm for visitation throughout the Memorial Day weekend. Everyone is encouraged to visit.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2012 at 10:30am everyone is invited to gather in commemoration and remembrance as we honor the lives and service of those who have served our country. The cemetery will be decorated with flags to honor those women and men who have served our nation in the armed forces to protect the values of freedom and justice. Those gathered will also honor the memory of their deceased loved ones.

Holyrood Cemetery is located at 205 NE 205th St., Shoreline, WA 98155; 206-363-8404. Most Rev. Eusebio Elizondo, Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle, presiding.

In addition, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2012 the Vietnamese Community will hold its annual prayer celebration: 2:00pm at Holyrood Cemetery 205 NE 205th St., Shoreline, WA 98155; 206-363-8404.






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Get A Job! An Employment Workshop for Teens

Teens!  Looking for a job and don’t know where to start?  

Come to the Shoreline Library this Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 2pm 
to learn what you need to know to get a job.  

At the Get A Job! An Employment Workshop for Teens you will learn about resumes, applications, interviewing and more. 

Your job is out there waiting for you!

Register online or call the library.

Shoreline Library
345 NE 175th Street
Shoreline, WA  98155



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40 volunteers work at Cedarbrook grounds at park clean-up event



From The Coalition for the Preservation of Cedarbrook

On Saturday, May 19, the Coalition for the Preservation of Cedarbrook sponsored a Cedarbrook Park Clean-Up. On a beautiful sunny day, over 40 of our neighbors turned out with tools in hand to clean up our park and show their continuing support for the acquisition and preservation of the Cedarbrook Elementary School property as a Community Park.


Young and old worked side by side to cut mountains of blackberries, clear brush, pull weeds, and pick up a ton of garbage. The group worked throughout the property, clearing paths, cleaning up around the school building, clearing brush from long buried stairways and rock gardens, and doing all we could to make our park beautiful.


It was an exceptional turn out and a great time was had by all.


Goodies were provided and a special thanks goes out to North City Lumber for their donation of yummy treats.

We encourage our entire community to let the Shoreline School District and the Shoreline City Council know how important Cedarbrook Park is to our community.

=================
Cedarbrook School, on Perkins Way, is a long-surplused Shoreline elementary school. It was used as a transition school during the modernization of the elementary schools in the Shoreline district 20 years ago, but was deemed too small a property to be used on a full-time basis. The last uses of the school buildings were for the Hi-Cap program, now housed at Meridian Park, and a private school which moved to another location after a few years. The property includes a small stream, Whispering Creek, and playing fields which are literally on the border of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park and have long been used by the neighborhood.

Lake Forest Park declined for budget reasons, but Shoreline Parks agreed to add the property to its inventory. Implicit in the agreement is the understanding that volunteers will be heavily involved in the maintenance of the property.



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Shorecrest takes six District track champions to State meet, Shorewood seven; Shorecrest takes six runners up, Shorewood three

Tuesday, May 22, 2012


Shorecrest will take six Northwest District 3A track champions to the State championships Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Tacoma, and Shorewood will take seven.
In addition, Shorecrest will take six District runners up to the state meet and Shorewood will take three second-place finishers.
Shorecrest champions at the District meet May 16-18 in Oak Harbor were Joe Dexter in the boys’ pole vault, John Odion in the boys’ long jump, Kathryn Andria-Habermann in the girls’ 400 meters, Nicole Harris in the girls’ 300-meter hurdles, Aiko Mizumori-Canfield in the girls’ javelin throw, and the girls’ 4x200 relay team of Andria-Habermann, Sarah Beland, Harris and Amanda Banks,
Shorewood District champions were David Fan in the boys’ 100 meters, Charity Ijiomah in the girls’ 100 and long jump, Alaina Olson in the girls’ high jump, Diandre Musikachart in the girls’ shot put, the boys’ 4x100 team of Chris Namba, Erik Johnson, Niko Frazier and Fan, and the girls’ 4x100 team of Erin Arslanoglu, Jennifer Franklin, Bethany Smith and Ijiomah.
       
Shorecrest also will take District runners-up Carter Osborne in the boys’ 800 and 1600, Odion in the boys’ triple jump, Harris in the girls’ long jump, Onyie Chibuogwu in the girls’ discus throw, and the boys’ 4x100 team of Rotimi Bolonduro, Michael Doquilo, Will McNamara and Adrian Monroe,
Shorewood District runners-up headed for the State meet are Frazier in the boys’ 200, Aldin Vojnikovic in the boys’ high jump and Taz Frazier in the boys’ javelin throw.
The Shorecrest boys’ team, which will take three individuals in five events plus a relay team to State, placed second in District team scoring behind champion Oak Harbor. The Shorewood boys will take four individuals and a relay team to State, after placing fifth in District team scoring.
         
The Shorewood girls, who will take three individuals in four events and a relay team to State, placed second in District team scoring behind Glacier Peak. The Shorecrest girls placed third and qualified four individuals in five events plus a relay team for the State meet.

Northwest 3A District Track

At Oak Harbor Stadium, May 16, 18

BOYS

Team scores — Oak Harbor 109, Shorecrest 85, Glacier Peak 72, Lynnwood 68.5, Shorewood 64.5, Mountlake Terrace 60, Sedro-Woolley 58.5, Marysville-Getchell 47, Ferndale 41.5, Everett 29, Mount Vernon 18, Meadowdale 7.
WEDNESDAY FINALS
Shot — 1, Basham, Lynnwood, 55-10.
High jump — 1, Seymer, Marysville-Getchell, 6-0; 2, Aldin Vojnikovic, Shorewood, 6-0.
Long jump — 1, John Odion, Shorecrest, 20-6.
Pole vault — 1, Joe Dexter, Shorecrest, 12-6.
1600 — 1, Schrum, Oak Harbor, 4:17.00; 2, Carter Osborne, Shorecrest, 4:17.64.
FRIDAY FINALS
Discus — 1, Higgins, Glacier Peak, 163-3
Javelin —1,Kennedy, Mountlake Terrace, 163-8, 2, Taz Frazier, Shorewood, 161-3.
Triple jump — 1, Derbecker, Glacier Peak, 43-5; 2, John Odion, Shorecrest, 43.2.
110 hurdles — 1, Noble, Sedro-Woolley, 15.37.
300 hurdles — 1, Coleman, Glacier Peak, 42.28.
100 — 1, David Fan, Shorewood, 10.83.
200 — 1, Miller, Oak Harbor, 22.01; 2, Niko Frazier, Shorewood, 22.42.
400 — 1, Prentice, Glacier Peak, 49.68.
800 — 1, McArthur, Lynnwood, 1:56.05; 2, Carter Osborne, Shorecrest, 1:56.85.
3200 — 1, Reith, Oak Harbor, 9:46.48
4x100 relay — 1, Shorewood (Chris Namba, Erik Johnson, Niko Frazier, David Fan), 43.46; 2, Shorecrest (Rotimi Bolonduro, Michael Doquilo, Will McNamara, Adrian Monroe) 43.6.
4x400 relay — Glacier Peak, 3:28.66.

GIRLS

Team scores — Glacier Peak 131.5, Shorewood 101, Shorecrest 96, Oak Harbor 72.5, Everett 64.5, Sedro-Woolley 60.5, Ferndale 38.5, Marysville-Getchell 36.5, Meadowdale 36, Mountlake Terrace 31, Mount Vernon 23, Lynnwood 10.

WEDNESDAY FINALS

Discus — 1, Carr, Everett, 133-3; 2, Onyie Chibuogwu, Shorecrest, 121-7.
Javelin — 1, Aiko Mizumori-Canfield, Shorecrest, 126-5.
Long jump — 1,Charity Ijiomah, Shorewood, 17-1; 2, Nicole Harris, Shorecrest, 16-9.
1600 —1, Neale, Glacier Peak, 4:47.16.

FRIDAY FINALS

Shot — 1, Diandre Musikachart, Shorewood, 37-7.
High jump — 1, Alaina Olson, Shorewood, 5-0
Triple jump — 1, Smith, Glacier Peak, 35-1.
Pole vault — 1, Hess, Glacier Peak, 10-1.
100 hurdles — 1, Bennett, Meadowdale, 15.55.
300 hurdles — 1, Nicole Harris, Shorecrest, 45.55.
100 — 1, Charity Ijiomah, Shorewood, 12.37.
200 — 1, Miller, Glacier Peak, 26.24.
400 — 1, Kathryn Andria-Habermann, Shorecrest, 59.43.
800 — Neale, Glacier Peak, 2:12.12.
3200 —Bianchini, Glacier Peak, 11:00.70.
4x100 relay — 1, Shorewood (Erin Arslanoglu, Jennifer Franklin, Bethany Smith, Charity Ijiomah), 50.61.
4x200 relay — 1, Shorecrest (Kathryn Andria-Habermann, Sarah Beland, Nicole Harris, Amanda Banks), 1:46.17.
4x400 relay — Glacier Peak, 4:07.16.


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Man charged with murder of Shoreline teenager turns himself in

Joseph Cooley
turned himself in
As reported by our News Partners KING5.com and The Seattle Times, 20 year old Joseph Cooley turned himself in to the King County Jail as of early hours of Monday.

Cooley was charged with murder and attempted murder in the shootings of Lake Forest Park resident Tiana Montgomery, and Shoreline resident Darrold Edwards.  Tiana, a 17 year old Shorecrest student, was taken to Harborview but died of her injuries. Darrold, a senior at Shorewood, was reportedly shot seven times but is expected to recover.

The teenaged cousins were shot shortly after midnight Wednesday in the parking lot of the Maplewood Court apartments in the 300 block of NW Richmond Beach Road Drive in Shoreline. The teens were “in or around their vehicle” when the gunfire erupted.. 

On Friday, an arrest warrant and felony charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder were filed against Cooley in King County Superior Court. Prosecutors have asked that he remain held in lieu of $2 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 31.

According to The Times, "A witness told investigators that Cooley opened fire because he believed he had been disrespected by one of the victims, according to charges."

KING5.com says the dispute may have been over a $50 cell phone.

"According to court papers, prosecutors said Cooley shot the pair in a dispute over a cell phone. 
"Montgomery may have been shot accidentally as Cooley fired at Edwards. 
" 'This cell phone issue was like a $50 phone," said Tiana's aunt, Tana Yasu-Montgomery, in an interview Friday. "Now we [will] never ever be able to hear Tiana's voice and see that smile.' "


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Eleven candidates file for the short term in Congress, but Carin Chase not among them

By Evan Smith


Eleven candidates have filed for the short term in the old 1st Congressional District with the addition of five of the candidates for the full term in the new 1st District, but Carin Chase won’t join them.

Chase, chairwoman of the 32nd Legislative District Democrats, said Friday that she wouldn’t run for the position because she and her organization are supporting Darcy Burner, a candidate for the full term in the new 1st District, who filed Friday for the short term in the old district.

Former Lynnwood Councilwoman Lisa Utter, who had said last week that she would run because no one else seemed to want the short term, was trying to qualify for the ballot by collecting 1,740 signatures instead of paying the $1,470 filing fee. She said Friday that she had collected about two-thirds of the required signatures and was prepared to pay the filing fee before the candidates for the full term entered the race.

“I felt there were good candidates with substantial resources in the race,” she said Friday. “Given the short time we were collecting signatures I was very pleased, and I was prepared to take that support and pay the filing fee today. However, with the entrance of Darcy Burner, Laura Ruderman and Suzan Delbene onto the ballot this morning, I feel there are strong candidates for the one-month term with substantial money to campaign in the race. I enjoyed meeting many new people and thank everyone who helped gather signatures or signed petitions.”

State Democratic officials had tried to keep the Democratic candidates for the full term out of the race for the short term, Then, Democrat Burner filed early Friday morning, followed by Democrats DelBene and Ruderman in the late morning and fellow Democrat Darshan Rauniyar in the early afternoon and Republican John Koster in mid-afternoon.

The five are among seven candidates -- five Democrats, one Republican and one independent running for the full term in the new district.

State Party officials recruited Snohomish County Councilman Brian Sullivan, who also filed for the short term Friday.

Independent Bob Champion of Mukilteo had filed Wednesday for the vacant position, as did Democrats J. Byron Holcomb of Bainbridge Island and Brian Berry of Lake Forest Park.

Democrat Ruth Morrison and Republican Steven J. Gerdes, both of Lynnwood brought the field to 11 as filing ended Friday.

They will run for the last month of Jay Inslee’s term in the old 1st Congressional District.

The position has been vacant since Inslee resigned to run for governor.

Many of the candidates don’t live in the old district but can run as long as they live in the State.

Ballots in Shoreline and the north part of Lake Forest Park will include the short term in the old 1st District and the full term in the 7th District.

The top two vote getters in the August 7 primary advance to the November 6 general election regardless of party.



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$5 and an umbrella might get you in the Guiness Book of World Records


Here's what you need to get into the Guiness Book of World Records:
  • $5 to donate to a charity run by a Shorewood student club
  • An umbrella
  • Less than an hour of your time on Friday, June 1st, starting at 4:30pm
Think of it as a planned and publicized flash mob.

The Schools for Kenya club at Shorewood is "paying it forward" to show its appreciation for the new Shorecrest and Shorewood high schools that are being built in Shoreline by building a school for children in rural Kenya through the organization Free the Children

Shorewood students in the club are aiming to raise $8,500 to build the school. 

Club member Majestic Spady says, "We've raised $6,000 so far, and our last fundraiser is to break the Guiness world record for the largest umbrella mosaic- an Umbrellephant - a mosaic of umbrellas forming an elephant."
"We committed ourselves to complete this project at the end of this year. We are close to our goal and going out with a blockbuster fundraiser," said Bethany Smith and Evan Levy, leaders of the club.

The club needs 2200 people from the community to come to the Shoreline Center at 4:30pm on Friday, June 1, 2012 to hold up umbrellas to form the shape of an elephant that can be seen from an aerial view.
"This is a fantastic club, said Sally Tonkin, Shorewood teacher and the club's advisor. "I hope the community will come support them, build a school, have a little fun and maybe we'll end up in the record books!" 


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King County proclaims Emergency Medical Services Week


Doug Locken, Shoreline Fire Medic
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

King County officials today proclaimed the week of May 20-26 as Emergency Medical Services Week in King County.

The proclamation honors the people and partnership among 30 fire departments, six paramedic providers, five EMS dispatch centers and 19 hospitals in King County that work together to save lives as Medic One. Introduced in 1970, King County Emergency Medical Services has become a model nationwide for delivery of lifesaving first-responder services.

The joint proclamation by the Metropolitan King County Council and Executive Dow Constantine is in conjunction with national programs recognizing the federal Emergency Medical Services System Act of 1973. 

Locally, the proclamation highlights King County’s cardiac arrest survival rate, which recently reached the 50-percent mark, the best in the world. In comparison, the survival rate in Los Angeles is 7 percent, New York is 5 percent and Chicago is 3 percent.

The cardiac arrest survival success is due in large part to the work of emergency medical first responders as well as the training they give to local citizens in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the public availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). King County now deploys more than 100 AEDs in county facilities, and 80 King County Sheriff’s deputies, who often arrive first to emergency calls, now carry AEDs in their vehicles and are trained in their use.
“The secret of our success is strong partnerships with a common goal: continually improving our ability to save lives, and measuring our performance along the way to know what works and what we can do better,” said Dr. Mickey Eisenberg, King County Emergency Medical Services Medical Director. “We're all fortunate to live in a community that shares such a deep commitment to excellence in survival from cardiac arrest.”


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Shoreline Water District – Stopping the Leak


The Shoreline Water building will be upgraded and expanded


As published in the Shoreline Waves newsletter • February March April 2012
Reprinted with permission

A building repair and expansion project is just getting started at Shoreline Water District...  what does it mean to our customers?

It all began innocently enough with a small drip in the lobby. The next year, another pesky leak appeared by the printer room, followed by a steady drizzle above the break room back door.

Suddenly one night, a whole section of the ceiling gave way during a particularly bad rainstorm, narrowly missing the computer servers that control Shoreline Water District’s phones, financials, and public water monitoring system.

Clearly, the roof needed to be replaced. But the problems didn’t end there...
The lights in the lobby had never worked (due to other roof complications), the electrical system was outdated (and not up to current code), the building had never been properly insulated, and the HVAC systems were beyond tired (no doubt due to the lack of insulation). Meanwhile customers had no public bathroom, Board members and technical staff had no place to conduct formal business (other than a table in the lobby), and employees were often seen eating lunch in their car rather than sit next to the employee restroom (which was the only space left for a lunch area).

Shoreline Water District needed a building that worked
Although the District did an admirable job converting an old bank branch building into affordable office space sixteen years ago, operations have increased in complexity since then, with expanded services, sophisticated monitoring systems, and a more comprehensive philosophy about the delivery of water to an ever-expanding community.

Enter Rick Driftmier of Driftmier Architects...
Rick was intimately familiar with the District’s office building, having overseen its conversion back in 1996. In 2010, he and his staff assessed the building’s current problems, and conducted a comprehensive needs analysis, looking at the facility’s current as well as projected operations 10 and 20 years into the future.

Once he and his team calculated the costs necessary to fix the roof, the electrical, and the HVAC, the amount was large enough to activate the North City Subarea Plan, which necessitated even more improvements.

The study also investigated the possibility of combining equipment maintenance operations under one roof, however this solution required more time, cost and land, so Rick recommended that the District focus on its most pressing needs first: the office building repair, while working towards a new shop maintenance facility in the future.

One of the biggest assets of Shoreline remaining at its current location is just that: location. Visibility and access are excellent, parking is good, the bank’s original drive-through is already serving the public very well as a convenient payment method, and a large backup generator system is already in place to keep the District open during power outages and emergencies.

All the building needs is thoughtful repair and expansion

All the building needs is a thoughtful repair and expansion to return it to optimum function. After looking at all of the options and carefully weighing the costs, Shoreline Water District’s Board members decided to go forward with the project.

The timing is perfect, in light of the current economy
Over the past three years, the cost of construction supplies and labor has been at record lows. Only recently have both started to rebound, making it critical to capture the best possible cost savings on much-needed building repairs before the rates go up much further.

The same is true of the local labor forecast: people need jobs right now, so a local construction project would potentially benefit the community. Shoreline has long maintained a “buy local”  policy, and the same would be true of sourcing supplies during construction.

The project will incorporate multiple new community benefits
An approximately 950 square foot meeting room will provide a comfortable, convenient location to hold special public meetings. It will be available during business hours, and supported by public bathrooms (not only for meeting attendees, but for people who drop by the office during the day to pay a bill or get information). The building will also include private meeting rooms for District staff to confer and work with developers, contractors, or individuals about water-related issues. The building’s security will be enhanced, and its structure will be strengthened to meet current seismic / earthquake code.

The architects are also exploring various water conservation approaches that may provide cost savings as well as opportunities for public demonstration, information and education.

When complete in late February 2013, the resulting expanded and upgraded office building will enable Shoreline Water District to be far more efficient and productive in providing secure, enhanced services to its customers and its community, with a building that will be around for decades.

Project Schedule
Now through May 2012: out for construction bids
June 2012 - March 2013: construction (approx. 6 months)

Project Scope
The current building’s 4,538 square feet footprint will remain, with an approximate 2,250 square feet expansion at the southwest corner and towards NE 177th Street. This will provide additional office space, meeting rooms, ample employee lunch room, a long-awaited conference room, and public bathrooms. The building’s flat roof will be removed and replaced with a 20-year energy efficient, gabled metal roof.

The building’s infrastructure will be upgraded to current code, including mechanical, electrical, structural, and HVAC/plumbing systems. New energy efficient windows and building insulation will be added.

Site work will include new curbs, gutters and sidewalks along NE 177th Street, parking lot improvements, security fencing, and the relocation of Shoreline Water District’s sign.

Project Financing
The total construction budget for this project is approximately $1.8 million, most of which will be paid for by existing cash on hand, thanks to Shoreline’s proactive cost modeling and “eagle-eye”  reviews of past and current project finances. The remainder will be funded by water revenue bonds which the District received in December at a net borrowing rate of 3.07%.

Project Team
Project Manager: 
     Diane Pottinger, P.E., District Manager, Shoreline Water District
Architectural Planning and Design:
     Rick Driftmier, The Driftmier Architects, PS
Structural Engineer:  AUE - Armor Unsderfer Engineers
Mechanical / Electrical Engineer:  Interface Engineering
Civil Engineer:  PACE Engineers, Inc.
Landscape Design:  Foresight


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Photos: for classic car fans

Shoreline photographer Marc Weinberg got back in town just in time to catch one of the car shows - the one sponsored by Richmond Beach Rehab as part of the Strawberry Festival activities.

Did anyone own any of these back in the day? Or a car you loved just as much? Feel like telling us about it?

If you would like to see more of Marc's photos, they are posted here.

1930 Ford
Photo by Marc Weinberg

1956 Chevy
Photo by Marc Weinberg
1956 Chevy Bel Air
Photo by Marc Weinberg
Buick ports
Photo by Marc Weinberg
Cleaning Dad's Shelby
Photo by Marc Weinberg
Remembering the drive in
Photo by Marc Weinberg
The beloved T-Bird
Photo by Marc Weinberg

Chevy Apache
Photo by Marc Weinberg


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Sterling Bank opens in Ballinger with donations to local charities

Monday, May 21, 2012


Sterling Bank temporary sign
Photo by Diane Hettrick
To celebrate the opening of its newest branch, located at 20011 Ballinger Way NE, Suite 100, Sterling Bank is giving $5,000 to three local non-profits.

PAWS, Shoreline Arts Council and Hopelink will split the $5,000 based on community voting, which runs through June 14.

Sterling will give $2,500 to the first-place charity, $1,500 to second place and $1,000 to the third-place charity. The results will be announced at the official grand opening celebration June 15. Ballots are available at any of the three area Sterling Bank branches, but must be dropped off at the new Ballinger Way branch.

Community members can learn more about the organizations when they visit the new Ballinger Way branch. The Shoreline Arts Council will be at the branch June 12; Hopelink will be at the branch June 13; and PAWS will visit June 14. Each organization will be there from 11 am to 3 pm on their designated days.

Hours for the branch lobby are 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Thursday, and 9 am to 6 pm on Fridays. The drive through offers extended hours of 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday. It can be reached at 425-712-0923.

The location was the former home of the failed Shoreline Bank Ballinger Branch. Sterling has been in this location since December 5 and will be celebrating their formal opening June 15.



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Frogs in Grace Cole Nature Park - work party May 26

Boardwalk in Grace Cole Nature Park
Photo by Lauren BroBy Mamie Bolender

By Mamie Bolander

A frog was sighted (twice) at Grace Cole Nature Park! As I strolled and peered at the emergent plants' stems, searching for salamander eggs, something moved near my feet, then leaped into one of the habitat ponds last Thursday and, and again on Saturday at the same spot.

If you haven't seen the work which Adopt-a-Stream has done in the wet region around the ponds, around the Salal patches and in the forest, please drop by and take a look.  They removed untold numbers of Himilayan blackberries and planted trees, shrubs and Willow and Red Osier Dogwood stakes.  

This was in collaboration with the series of classes on Stream Ecology they conducted here in Lake Forest Park.  The goal is to crown out the blackberries, limit the spread of Salal (Hardhack) and provide some shade for the ponds.

Our next work party will be Saturday, May 26, 9 to noon, at GC Nature Park.  There will be things to plant, and weeds to dig, and more.  Tools, gloves, and snacks provided.

The June work party will be on Saturday, June 30.

Students are encouraged to come to all work parties to fulfill Community Service obligations.

To find Grace Cole Nature Park, turn south off NE 178th St. onto 28th Ave. NE.  At about 6/8th of a mile you'll see the park on your right.


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District, city announce agreement on future of Sunset school building



The Shoreline School District and the City of Shoreline announced today that they have worked out an agreement related to the future of the closed Sunset Elementary School building and site located in the Richmond Highlands neighborhood.

Under the agreement, the School District will pay for the demolition and removal of the school building while the City takes over the maintenance, utilities, supervision and scheduling of the property. The details of the agreement will be similar to the joint-use agreement entered into between the School District and the City for use of Paramount School Park, incorporating some of the terms in the Sunset Site Planning Agreement.

The School District hopes to accomplish the demolition as soon as possible, and plans to cover the costs of removing the building through the annual savings of maintenance, utilities, supervision and scheduling over future years. The City believes it will be able to cover the costs of continued maintenance and supervision of the site through the parks maintenance budget.

"Removing the vacant building will be a win-win for our community. While the Friends of Sunset Park and others continue to identify funding for the proposed park on the property, the demolition of the building will go a long way to making this public facility safer and neighborhood friendly," said Superintendent Sue Walker.

"Continuing to find areas where the City and the School District can collaborate on projects benefits all Shoreline residents," stated City Manager Julie Underwood. "This will bring us a step closer to seeing a park on that site."

Sunset Elementary School was closed at the end of the 2006-07 school year. The site is located at 17800 10th Ave NW in the heart of a residential district, with a stunning view of Puget Sound.




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WeatherWatcher: Solar eclipse, if we could only have seen it

Sunday, May 20, 2012



  • Solar Eclipse
  • Week ahead - wet, cold, and gray.
  • Last week's weather data.

-Solar Eclipse:  Sunday May 20th, 2012 we experienced a partial solar eclipse.  This is where the moon crosses in front of the sun and blocks most of the sun, casting a shadow on earth.  Due to our cloud cover, however, we were unable to witness the eclipse.  

You could say we had a total eclipse of the sky, by cloud cover.  About 78% of the sun's disc was blocked at the peak of the eclipse at 6:20 PM PST.  You might have noticed the clouds seemed particularly dark and gloomy around that time.   It wasn't because the cloud cover got thicker, it was because the sun was partially blocked by the moon.

-The week ahead looks wet, colder than normal, and gray.  This is our trade for our sunny week and weekend we had last week.  Looks like Monday afternoon we may see a strong breeze, or a mild wind storm, depending on how you define it.   Winds are possible up to 30mph, especially along Richmond Beach and the shore of Lake Washington.  The rest of the week looks very rainy, and chilly.  We will be averaging around the lower 50's for the rest of the week.

Last week's data:
High temperature: 78.2°F (Monday)
Low temperature: 43.5°F (Saturday)
No rainfall last week!
Warmest day: 64.5°F (Monday)
Coldest day: 50.8°F (Friday)
Average temperature: 58.0°F (4.8°F warmer than normal!)
3-year average temperature for May 12th - 18th: 53.2°F

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, starting Saturday morning at midnight.  All weather data unless otherwise noted is sourced from Carl's Shoreline Weather Station.

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