Can we climb two million stairs?

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Councilmember Doris McConnell
does her part for the stair climb
Photo by Keith McGlashan
Shoreline is almost at 2 million stairs climbed as part of the Million Stair Challenge. As of June 24th the total is at 1,774,766 stairs. Down to the home stretch, organizers are hoping to hit the 2 million mark this year.

Top climbers so far are Bill Clements and Kinin Taylor (see previous story) who, combined, have over a quarter of a million stairs climbed!

Over 370 people have participated so far in the Million Stair Challenge, which runs during the month of June out of Richmond Beach Saltwater Park.

There is plenty of room for more climbers and plenty of time left to participate so come on down to the park and start climbing.

Details about the Million Stair Challenge and current stair climbing totals can be found online.


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Shoreline Schools receives national awards for website, newsletter


The Shoreline School District website has received a Merit Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), a distinction which places it among the best in the country.

This year NSPRA honored only 26 districts nationwide for their websites. Shoreline was the only district in Washington to receive an award for its website for 2013.

District Webmaster Brent Degenhardt redesigned the front page this year and introduced a new, easy to navigate format for schools and departments as well.

The District newsletter Flagship was one of only 27 external school district publications nationwide to receive an award this year.

Flagship is published quarterly and mailed to all residences and businesses in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. Craig Degginger, the District’s public information officer. is the editor of Flagship.


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Two Shorecrest soccer players, one from Shorewood, score, as Wesco 3A South plays to 3-3 tie with North division in all-star game


Chris Iacolucci and Morgan West of Shorecrest and Taj McChesney of Shorewood scored the three Western Conference 3A South goals as the South team played to a 3-3 tie with a team from the North division.

Danny Han of Shorewood assisted on one of the South goals. Calvin Crawford of Shorewood and Sam Schober of Shorecrest shared goal keeping for the South.

The South took a 3-0 halftime lead in the June 5 all-star match in Snohomish before the North responded with three second-half goals.

The South had two chances to win it in the last five minutes, but couldn't put either of them in the net.


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Author events at Third Place Books June 27-28

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Third Place Books
Author Events
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA  98155


Sally Ooms
Finding Home: How American Prevail
Thursday, June 27 at 7pm

Ooms has collected stories from everyday Americans who have solved problems that our society hands us on a daily basis. Included are the voices of vets, foster kids, single moms and laid-off workers, retirees and business owners.




Sahar Delijani
Children of the Jacaranda Tree (Atria)
Friday, June 28 at 6:30pm

A stunning debut novel set in post-revolutionary Iran gives voice to the men, women, and children who won a war only to find their lives and those of their descendants imperiled by its aftermath. Sahar Delijani, a Pushcart Prize nominee, was born in Tehran's Evin Prison in 1983 and grew up in California. She lives with her husband in Turin, Italy,


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Attention golfers: Sound Transit begins planning for US Open in 2015

Joni Earl, CEO Corner

I was pleased to join Pat McCarthy, Pierce County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair, and other local officials last week for a behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. Open golf championship at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia.

We were in Pennsylvania to learn all we could in preparation for the 2015 U.S. Open, which is being held at Chambers Bay in the City of University Place near Tacoma.

The U.S. Open at Chambers Bay is expected to bring in an estimated 50,000 people a day during the week of the tournament. The trip last week gave us a chance to better understand the logistical challenges and how they were handled.

Thanks to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) leadership for giving us a tour of their services and showing us their planning for the U.S. Open. Between weather challenges, huge crowds and various issues that arose, they did a fabulous job. We learned a great deal that will help us, along with the USGA, in planning and preparing for Chambers Bay.


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Arts Festival Breakfast, June 29th and 30th

Have breakfast at the Senior Center before the Arts Festival
Photo by Jon Ann Cruver


Saturday, June 29th and Sunday, June 30th from 8:30am to noon, breakfast will be served at the Shoreline-LFP Senior Center at the south end of the Shoreline Center, NE 185th at 1st NE.

Bring a friend and have a nice breakfast: Adults $7.00, children 12 years and under $3.00. This year the breakfast is sponsored by Merrill Gardens, LLC.

Choices include: French toast or pancakes (Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry or Plain), with scrambled eggs, ham or sausage, coffee and O.J.

Quilt to be raffled off during the November
Holiday Bazaar - start buying tickets now

More to enjoy at the Arts Festival: See the ThimbleBelles Quilt Show both days in the hallway of the Shoreline Center building; enjoy hearing the Senior Singers at 10:45am on Saturday on stage in the Shoreline Room at the north end of the facility, and watch the lovely Kupuna Hula dancers at 12:15pm on Saturday on stage in the Shoreline Room.


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Supermoon hid behind clouds

Monday, June 24, 2013

Photo by Jerry Pickard

Text and photo by Jerry Pickard

Supermoon 2013 is when the moon is at perigee or closest it will be to earth this year. This makes it appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual.

It peaked Sunday evening June 23rd, behind a thick cover of clouds. This shot was taken at sunset through light clouds on June 22nd.


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City of Shoreline response to Ronald Wastewater

On Thursday, June 20, 2013, Ronald Wastewater District General Manager Michael Derrick wrote an op-ed piece for the Shoreline Area News. Included was a link to a letter from Michael Derrick to City Manager Julie Underwood regarding an upcoming meeting between the City Council and the Board of Commissioners of Ronald Wastewater. Below is a link to the City Manager’s June 20 response to that letter. 



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McDermott draws a crowd at Edmonds Coffee

Jim McDermott listens to a question during Saturday’s coffee gathering.
Photo courtesy My Edmonds News


As reported by our News Partner My Edmonds News

“This is probably the most exciting Congress I’ve ever been in,” U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott said, drawing a laugh from the crowd packed into Red Petal Cakes in downtown Edmonds for a coffee hour with constitutents Saturday morning. Those gathered assumed he was talking in jest, given the increasingly divisive political tone in the other Washington, but the 12-term Congressman assured them he was serious.

“What’s exciting is, in less than 100 days, we are going to start the biggest social experiment in this country’s history,” said McDermott, citing the 30 million people who will be enrolled in the Affordable Care Act.

“I went back and read the history of the starting of Medicare, and there was so much talk about it being socialized medicine and it was going to be the end of medicine in this country and it was just going to be awful,” said McDermott, whose 7th District now represents Edmonds (and Shoreline and Lake Forest Park) following redistricting in 2012. In fact, it was difficult to sign people up for Medicare, he said, noting that during door-door enrollment efforts, “people would slam the door and say, ‘I’m not going to have any of that communism in my house.’ Well now, if you tried to take Medicare away from the old people you’d soon be doing something else besides being in Congress.”

While there is likely to be some resistance and “bumps in the road” when the new health care law is rolled out and people being receiving benefits next January, McDermott, a long-time supporter of universal health care, said he believes that Americans will benefit, especially given that health care emergencies are a leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.

McDermott answered many questions from the audience including:

-  Immigration and the continued use of H-1B Visas, which allow U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. “We have now put the cost of education on our own students and they are deeply in debt. So what we’ve done as a cure-all for that is to skim the brains of the world … because we have not educated our own people to take these jobs,” he said. “Part of the problem here is getting us back to believing that we have to invest in our own people in our own country. I think there’s going to be a real debate over just how many people we’re going to take into this country.”

The Congressman did speak in favor pending legislation in Congressman aimed at reforming immigration laws, noting that “the power of this country is in part because the people who immigrate are those who have the guts to get up and leave someplace and say “I’m going to something better.”

- Concerns about President Barack Obama’s decision to provide arms to rebel forces in Syria. “I went to Iraq in 2002 and said the President (Bush) would lie to get us into war and got the name Baghdad Jim for my efforts,” he said. “The war drums for us going into Syria are very very strong right now.

“You’re looking at a place we have to be very careful about going into or moving in to,” McDermott continued, adding that the U.S. is not going to be effective by handing out rifles, he said. “If we’re going to make an impact we’re going to give them tanks and anti-personnel weapons that shoot down helicopters. I do not think that the United States is going to … make it any better by handing out weapons to a bunch of people that we don’t know.”

- Regarding recent revelations regarding the National Security Administration and Department of Defense practice of spying on Americans, McDermott said, “We have given away our personal private security.” He added that he supports a bill introduced by California Congressman Adam Schiff that would repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force, which Congress passed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

He related an experience several years ago, when a teen-age girl followed him after he left a town meeting, stating she wanted to tell him a story. The girl said that she and her family lived in Seattle and that one day at 3 pm., a man in a blue suit and red tie knocked on the door, asking why the family made so many calls to Iran. The father had been in the Iranian Air Force and came to the U.S. after that Shah of Iran was deposed, but the family members were all U.S. citizens, McDermott said. “Their phone was being monitored and this was in 2003.” Turns about that the family was calling Tehran because they had an aunt who was hospitalized, and they were calling about her well-being.

“I don’t believe anything they (U.S. security officials) say about what they are doing with the information or how they are sifting it,” he said. “They are not telling the truth. I’m convinced of that.”

After the 2001 terrorist attacks, “we were willing to give away all of our American rights in the name of security. Now you are no more secure with the copying of all your emails or all your phone calls … that doesn’t make us secure.”

- To a question regarding how to change the current attitude about government and the stalled political process in Washington, D.C., McDermott said that there is likely to be a hot-button issue — perhaps around the growing amount of debt facing college students — that will inspire people to make changes.

“The average kid coming out of the University of Washington Medical School is $175,000 in debt, so all they are thinking about is, how to make money and get rid of this debt I am dragging. And that has changed the whole of society in terms of what we care about,” McDermott said.


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Finding Treasures Thrift Shop opens with parking lot sale this weekend


Saturday and Sunday June 29th and 30th
9am – 5pm

Finding Treasures For a Cure thrift shop opens this weekend at 4114 198th St SW in Lynnwood 98036. The non-profit thrift store will support the Brandon’s Goal Foundation (BGF).

BGF supports Research at Fred Hutch, Providence Pediatric Hospice, and Family Support Program at Seattle Children’s.

11 year old Brandon passed away in 2010 after a 7 year battle with a brain tumor.  Brandon raised money for his doctors, held a lemonade stand and gave the money to other kids in the hospital.  

Brandon started a toy drive for the kids in the hospital over Christmas. He and his friends delivered more than 400 toys to Seattle Children’s for all of the kids in the hospital over Christmas.

4114 198th St SW, Lynnwood WA 98036

After Brandon passed away his mom started Brandon’s Goal Foundation. The foundation has grown to become so big that she opened a thrift store with her best friend to support the foundation. Jeanne McDonald and Kris Forth now run Finding Treasures. FT is a nonprofit thrift store where you can find vintage clothing, furniture, kids clothing and more.

The grand opening this weekend will fill the parking lot with treasures for you to find from the contents of ten storage lockers - and the proceeds will go to pediatric cancer research.


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Lake Forest Park Police: Home Safety Bulletin

From Lake Forest Park Police

Now that summer is here and kids are out of school, the Lake Forest Park Police want to remind parents of some home safety tips for their children. Burglars and thieves will attempt to contact the occupants of a home during the day by knocking on the door.

In an incident just this week, a woman knocked on the front door and the child, who was home alone, answered the door. The woman talked her way inside to use the restroom. No crime took place this time; however there have been situations where thieves have stolen items once inside the house.

We recommend that you instruct your children to not answer the door if a stranger knocks. Your child should already have a phone in hand in the event that the stranger attempts entry into the house or walks into the back yard. If this happens, your child should seek a safe place to hide in the house and call 911 right away. Officers will respond and contact the subject.

The Lake Forest Park Police supports safe neighborhoods for all residents; we attempt to patrol neighborhoods and parks every day as a visual deterrent. Additionally, Crime Watch Volunteers go out every day as a part of our Vacation House Check program. For more information regarding this program, please go to the City’s website.


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2013 Edmonds in Bloom Garden Tour


One of the 2012 Gardens
The 18th annual Edmonds in Bloom Garden Tour will be held on Sunday July 21, 2013.

This year’s tour features many of the most beautiful gardens in Edmonds and Woodway. The 2013 Garden Tour has a full line-up of 6 beautiful gardens whose intimate charm and natural beauty speak to the attention lavished on these quiet sanctuaries.

From a tranquil Zen garden, to rare species rhododendrons, and raised vegetable beds overflowing with produce — the gardens are an incredible representation of the diversity of gardening in our climate. Come feast your eyes. You won’t be disappointed.

Tickets are $15 each and will be available the first week in June through the following local merchants: Sky Nursery, Swansons Nursery, Wight’s Home and Garden, Plant Shack, Bountiful Home, Frances Anderson Center, and Garden Gear.  Tickets are also available online.


Other 2013 Edmonds in Bloom events include:

  • Kid’s Plant for Mom’s Day — Saturday May 11th
  • Garden Competition — Entries due by July 3rd
  • Awards Reception — August 7th



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Shoreline Caucus meeting Wednesday

The Shoreline Caucus meets this Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 7:00pm at the Shoreline Library conference room.

The agenda will include the signature gathering to repeal the Shoreline plastic bag ban.


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Death notices as of June 22, 2013

Obituaries are condensed biographies of people's lives, written by the people who loved them. Like a memorial service, they tell us things we may not have known about the person, and may leave us wishing we had known them better.


Robert L. McFarlane  1934-2013  Services at St. Mark's in Shoreline.

Steve Lockitch  1942-2013  Memorial at Anderson House in Shoreline. Contributions to the Forgotten Children's Fund.

Marjorie Elaine McDowell  Age 98, born in Scotland. With her husband, built one of the original homes in Innis Arden. Loved gardening, bird watching, and views of Puget Sound.

Mary Louise Evans Conrad  1938-2013  Sang in Calvin Presbyterian choir for many years, then in Edmonds Sound Singers. Active in veterans support through Evergreen-Washelli. Contributions to the Wounded Warrior project.

Anne Marie Carroll  1961-2013  Moved to Shoreline eight years ago. Loved to dance, loved her cats, and treasured her family. Skilled at flower arrangements. Lost a nine month battle with cancer.

Barbara Helen Wynn  1932-2013  Shoreline resident loved animals, volunteering and donating to animal shelters. Contributions to Seattle Humane Society.

Bruce W. Adams  1933-2013  Grew up in what is now Shoreline and raised his family just a few blocks down the street. Attended Ronald and Richmond Beach schools and graduated from Lincoln High School in Seattle. Charter member and one of the founders of the Shoreline Historical Museum, where he volunteered every day. Contributions in his name to the museum.

Doris E. Fullerton  1920-2013  Married her high school sweetheart and lived 60 years in Shoreline.

Loretta "Snookie" Elf  1955-2013  Attended Shorecrest High School where she met her future husband, Stephen Elf. They married in 1986.

Verna Allen  1937-2013  The Shoreline resident travelled the world and had a close connection with her son's friends in Cambodia. Services at Edmonds Senior Center.

John Charles Monroe   1932-2013  The Richmond Beach resident was "a faithful member and past president of the Rotary Club of Shoreline. He also belonged to Masons and Shrine, was a volunteer for the Shoreline Police Department, was a member of the Shoreline amateur Radio Group, and belonged to the English Speaking Union for many years."

Geraldine Edna Rousseau  1926-2013  Married to Phillip in 1946, she raised her family in the Ashworth neighborhood of Shoreline. Burial at Holyrood.

Norman Leonard Reinke  1933-2013  Served two years in the Navy, then continued his education at the University of Washington. 25 years as an agent for State Farm. Survived by wife and daughters, including Linda Willford of Shoreline.

Kathleen A. (Steele) Den  aged 89  A member of the Canadian Women's Air Corps, she "worked at Lake Forest Park Elementary School, Second Hand Rose, Northwest Hospital, and retired at 85 from Interstate Insurance Agency. She volunteered at the Shoreline Senior Center."

Gary Lee Bowers  1944-2013  Services at Berean Bible Church in Shoreline.

Dorothy Evelyn Mannick  1916-2013  She was "an active member of the Bethel Lutheran Church of Shoreline, participating in the "Pass it on Quilters" to support Lutheran World Relief. She retired from Nursing at Northgate General Hospital, where she worked from 1951 - 1977."

Charles Douglas DeJong  1960-2013  Attorney, community activist, man of faith, he battled brain cancer for nine years. He found his true vocation when he joined World Vision, leading Major Donor Ministries. Services at Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Shoreline.

Lucille Hinton  Lived at Crista Nursing Center for ten years before her death. Services at Crista.

Sallianne Davis  1925-2013  Services at Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church.

David Martin Haigh  1953-2013  Worked ten years for North City Lumber in Shoreline in the 1980s.

Gerald John Lovchik  1938-2013  A memorial service will be held at Spiro's Pizza and Pasta in Shoreline for Gerry, who was the owner of the Couth Buzzard Bookstore in Greenwood. Actuary, math teacher, actor, and science fiction writer, his third degree was in counseling, so he could lead Rational Recovery groups which met at his bookstore.

Phillip Matthew Ready  1950-2013  Services at St. Mark's in Shoreline,

Ronald L. Wilson  1932-2013  Children and grandchildren live in Shoreline.

John Edward Dunlap  Formerly of Shoreline, and long-time member of St. Mark's, where services will be held. Survived by his wife of 67 years.

Kevin Raymond Matheson  1957-2013  Attended Shorecrest High School.

Tiny Rees  1940-2013  Born in Alaska, lived in Ballard, Greenwood, and Shoreline.

Brian Sternberg  1943-2013  See previous article. 1961 graduate of Shoreline High School, record breaking pole vaulter who became a quadraplegic, Brian wrote his own obituary, thanking his many doctors and his family. 


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The Ponies in June

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Photo by Patty Hale

June brides are traditional, hence the formal wedding-wear for our ponies.

The ponies are metal sculptures which were given to the City of Shoreline by an anonymous donor some years ago. They soon began sporting decorations suitable to the seasons. They are mounted on a berm at the north end of Ronald Bog, along N 175th between I-5 and Meridian Ave N.


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Quick Start Shoreline on Tuesday June 25

The Tuesday Quick-Start Shoreline Business Workshop for start-up, existing or potential business owners will be held on June 25th, 2013 from 12 noon to 1:30 pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Avenue N. Feel free to bring a brown-bag lunch.



Title: Advanced Social Media: Gaining Credibility, Visibility and Profitability
Speaker: Tracey Warren


Event description
If you have been using Facebook and Twitter for your business, but are still feeling like you aren't getting the appropriate response for the time you are spending, this is the workshop for you.

Attendees can expect to...
Learn lots of practical tips and tricks for how to make your business experiences on social media more efficient and effective.

Maximizing business event success

  • How to use Twitter Search to find content, find prospects, and build business relationships.
  • How and why to create Twitter Lists
  • How to clean up your news feed to remove the "junk"
  • And so much more.

Top reasons you should attend...

  • If you already have an ACTIVE Facebook business page and Twitter profile, but are still feeling like they just aren't working.
  • Or, you want to figure out how to better share your message, manage your time, and engage your community.

PLEASE allow a little extra time in advance for parking and registration. We will begin at 12 sharp!

Tracey Warren
"I have a passion for marketing and an addiction to social media.

"I am a Social Media Strategist and Community Manager and teach business owners how to create successful Social Media Marketing Campaigns to help them grow their businesses.

"I love to help individuals and businesses maximize their social media presence."


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2013 North City Jazz Walk on Tuesday, August 13

With two outdoor venues, the street scene is vibrant at Jazz Walk
Photo by Marc Weinberg 2012


Make plans now to attend the North City Jazz Walk on Tuesday, August 13th. Music Director Keith McClelland, who is approached throughout the year by jazz artists, says this year’s lineup will delight jazz lovers and Jitterbug dancers who will hit the floor as soon as Solomon Douglas’ Swingtet gets going on the outdoor stage in front of Phoenix Art Restoration. 

You won’t want to miss “Sinatra and Basie at the Sands” featuring crooner Danny Quintero backed by the Critical Mass big band, at the St. Mark Social Hall – just one of 10 bands at 10 venues.

Always a popular Jazz Walk tradition, the Shoreline Jazz Camp student and faculty bands showcase their talents on the SLFP Arts Council’s Showmobile. 

“The Jazz Walk draws a larger crowd every year,” says McClelland, a Shoreline attorney who started the event with the North City Business Association in 2007.  “I make an effort to mix different styles and artists in with some of the favorites,” he explained.

This year, perennial favorite saxophonist Doug Reid teams with trumpeter Alan Keith for a salute to Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker at The Bounty Café. Making his first appearance is pianist Barney McClure who, with guitarist Dan Sales, will keep fingers poppin’ at The Eagles Club.

Shoreline Water District Commissioner and Jazz Walk Volunteer Coordinator Charlotte Haines, arranged to add the district’s new conference room as the venue for sultry-voiced Stephanie Porter, backed by Dan O’Brien on bass and Steve Yusen on drums.

Casey MacGill’s intriguing tunes from the 20s-30s plays at the North City Bistro, while just across the street, the North City Lounge hosts the roiling sounds of blues man Jimmy Holden and vocalist/drummer Tim Haines.

Last year’s big hit, Hook Me Up, another great dance band, returns to the Frank Lumber Delivery Store stage next to the Rain City Rotary beer garden. For those who want to boogie, down a brew, or just tap a foot, this venue can’t be beat.

Although it is tiny, the 40-seat North City Theatre’s intimate setting is perfect for an evening “up close and personal” with the Northwest’s favorite jazz singer, Greta Matassa.   

Street will be closed
Thanks to the City of Shoreline’s partnership, 15th Ave NE north of NE 175th St will be closed again this year making it possible to stroll with abandon from venue to venue and pick up a Jazz Bite along the way. More vendors will offer an array of food starting at 6:00pm. 

Bracelets for entry
All indoor venues require a bracelet for entry. Bracelets will be on sale shortly. Participants will be able to purchase a bracelet through the website for $12 plus a handling fee.  If purchased through the web site, the purchaser will receive a receipt that will be exchanged for a bracelet the night of the Jazz Walk. Bracelets will be on sale for $12 at various local businesses over the next few weeks.   The locations will be published on this website in the couple of weeks. Bracelets will be for sale the night of the event for $15.

Over the next several weeks we will be bringing you more details about this popular community event.

For detailed information about the North City Jazz Walk, go to the website.


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WeatherWatcher: Weekly Weather - Atmospheric River

-Unusual Atmospheric River on the way, week ahead forecast
-Last week's highlight
-Last week's data
Unusual Atmospheric River on the way: (Also known as the Pineapple Express) We have an unusual, for this time of the year, weather pattern that will set up for the next few days. We haven't seen one of these in the summer in over a couple of decades. An atmospheric river is pointed at us for at least the next 3 days (through Wednesday). High temperatures through Wednesday will probably hover around the low-mid 60's. Expect quite a bit of rain for this time of year, I can't rule out a 3-day rain total exceeding an inch of rain. Thursday through the weekend we may see a high pressure system re-develop over the region with high temperatures returning to the mid-70's and low 80's and sunny skies!

 Last week's highlight: We had our first rainfall of June, on Thursday with a total rainfall of 0.6 inches. This was an unusual storm that actually rotated moisture in the upper atmosphere from east of the Cascades and Rockie mountains - out of the northern plains. This kind of weather pattern in the middle of the winter would have had a significant chance of generating a major snow event. It is very rare however to have a low pressure system feed us moisture after passing east of the Cascade mountain range.

Last week's weather statistics:
High temperature: 83.8°F (Monday)
Low temperature: 49.6°F (Saturday)
Rainiest day: 0.60 inches (Thursday)
Total rainfall: 0.64 inches
Warmest day: 64.6°F (Monday)
Coldest day: 54.5°F (Thursday)
Average temperature: 60.1°F

Average temperature for last week based on station history: 57.2°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.

For weather related updates or storm warnings, check out my weather station web page or follow me on Twitter: @SWeatherWatcher


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Collecting signatures to reverse Shoreline's plastic bag ban

Add Tom Jamieson and Ginny Scantlebury.
Photo Shoreline Area News

Tom Jamieson and Ginny Scantlebury picked a sunny day on Saturday to collect signatures to repeal Shoreline's upcoming plastic bag ban. Their table was in front of Haggen Fresh grocery and drug store.


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Crime in Shoreline A-Z: Road Rage at Jack in the Box

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Crime in Shoreline A - Z
June 3-9, 2013

Every week - besides the list below, there are death investigations, suicide attempts, domestic violence investigations, violent people with mental issues, arrest warrants, drivers with suspended license, runaway kids

A - "Mike" had permission to drive car for a day, but never returned it / Driver heard strange noises from his car so he pulled to the side of the road at 15th NE around 177th - while he was checking, someone stole his wallet from the car seat.

Alcohol and pedestrians - Individual intoxicated at Richmond Beach Park after hours

Alcohol and vehicle - Driver who rear-ends other vehicle at 175th and Meridian is DUI / Picked up for speeding on Aurora at 2am, driver is DUI / 11pm DUI on Aurora

Arrest - In cooperation with Edmonds Police, Shoreline picked up a convicted felon with a handgun and outstanding warrants for drug convictions, who walked into Shoreline on Aurora. / Stopped a vehicle on the street by Rodeway Inn and found that passenger in vehicle had three outstanding felony warrants and was in possession of heroin

Burglary - Suspects who stole three chain saws from backyard shed were identified by eyewitness / 20xx NW 165th owners on vacation / Burglary in process at 23xx N 148 interrupted by neighbor / Kicked in door at 167xx 8th NE / 11xx NE Perkins Way door kicked in / Garage burglarized at 20xx NE Perkins Way

Burglary, business - Radio Shack on Aurora / Attempted burglary at Sea-Shore Collective

Car prowl - 3xx NW 201st / 170xx 2nd NW

Cars and parts stolen – Honda stolen from 168xx 11th Pl NE / Subaru SW from 183xx Dayton N / Gas cap and fuel door from 158xx 11th NE / Car stolen from Pay Less Auto Sales

Drugs - Shorewood student high in class, smelled like marijuana / Suspect sold marijuana to undercover officer on Metro 358 run

Family - Juvenile runaway assaults mother when mother picks her up at the precinct / Son stole checks and wrote over a thousand dollars worth to himself

Found - Safe found at Shoreview Park / Driver on Richmond Beach Road saw a toddler walking alone on the sidewalk / Suspicious behavior leads to recovery of two stolen motor scooters / Stolen vehicle found at Hearthstone Apts

Larceny, businesses – Wheels and tires taken from parked rental vans at U-Haul at 165th and Aurora / Individual's laptop stolen while he was using the self check-out at Home Depot / Women concealed items in purse at Sears / Man stole at least two half-gallons bottles of liquor from Safeway on 15th NE

Larceny, private - "Friends" stole from victim's house / Someone invited into victim's home stole their electronic Tablet from the kitchen table

Major Crimes - Victim assaulted and held in her apartment while suspects robbed her. Case forwarded to Major Crimes unit

Mail theft - 16xx N 186th / 10xx N 195th 

Mental issues - Woman makes numerous calls to 911, uncooperative, drinking, drugs / Mentally disabled patient leaves group home and spray paints fence and walls.

Road rage - Driver and two SCC students on electric scooters behind Central Market / Driver backing out of parking space at Jack in the Box collided with incoming car - minor damage to vehicles but road rage ensured. Driver spit at him, shoved him, and was arrested for 4th degree assault 

Trespassed from - Ballinger Commons after unauthorized occupancy of a unit / Man is Trespassed after St. Mark's Church declines to prosecute after man is found using a stick with adhesive on it to steal from the church offering box

Vandalism - Juvenile male cuts off neighbor's tree branch / Graffiti at Paramount School Park / Red spray paint on picnic table at Hillwood Park / Vandalism to Hamlin Park ballfield rest room / Passengers damage sign on Metro bus #348 in Richmond Beach / Black ink and markets used to put gang tags on fence and restroom at Shoreline Park / Black marker and red pen used to mark gang signs in rest room at Echo Lake Park / Rear window of vehicle broken out at Meridian and 175th / Damage to car door at 8xx NE 160th / Black spray paint tagging at Ridgecrest Park 

Z - Call to report suspicious noise in the grass at 145xx 25th NE

For other weeks of Crime in Shoreline, see the Features section on the front page.

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Poem: Cool Dog in Side car

Our resident poet, Jean Bryant, was inspired by Frank Kleyn's photograph of the Cool Dog in the motorcycle side car.

Photo by Frank Kleyn



He is so cool  He is so fine
This Sidecar Companion friend of mine
He loves to go out for a ride
It's great to have him by my side
  
He keeps a lookout too for Danger
To  bumps in road--he is no stranger
He knows that Life can bring surprise
It 's great to have his watchful eyes  

We shelter him for he wears shades
A windshield too--it also aids
Oh he's my buddy--it is true
I hope that you have someone too

He's faithful--loyal to the core
Oh I can't ask for anymore
So say a thanks for all who bless
Who give us so much happiness

They see beyond their Vision's sight
They know True Love makes all things right


Jean Monce Bryant
June 21,2013



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Main attraction at the beach Sunday - Solstice low tides

Main Attraction at the Beach Sunday

        ...Solstice Low Tides  -3.7 ft

Those who watch the tides and the moon were treated to this year's best beach walking, a minus 3.7 feet on Sunday.

But don't worry if you missed it. There's still another chance on Monday, June 24 just about noon.  So rush on down to Richmond Beach Saltwater Park with your gear for exploring, photographing, or just plain being a kid and digging in the sand.

The following images are my take away for a somewhat grey, but mild day on the sand. 

Text and Photography, Marc Weinberg

Blue Heron fly-by, Copyright, Marc Weinberg
Macro Photgography---up close and personal, Copyright, Marc Weinberg
Paddle boarder's long walk to the water, Copyright, Marc Weinberg
The well equipped treasur hunter, Copyright, Marc Weinberg

Saltwater Park, 2021 NW 190th Street, Shoreline 98177


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LFP GOV WATCH endorses Kiest and Wright for City Council election

The LFP GOV WATCH organization has endorsed incumbent Lake Forest Park City Councilman John Wright and former Councilman Alan Kiest for Council positions on the Nov. 5 general-election ballot.

Wright is running unopposed for re-election. Kiest is running against John Resha for the position that Councilman Bob Lee now holds.

The organization has yet to endorse candidates for either of the other two positions on the ballot but said in a recent press release that it expects to continue to interview candidates through the end of June.

Hilda Thompson is running against Jason Colberg for the position that Councilwoman Sandy Koppenol now holds. Candidate Mark Phillips is running against Edgar Escanda for the position that Councilman Don Fiene holds.

The organization was instrumental in the overwhelming defeat of a proposed City levy-lid lift three years ago and the election of Mayor Mary Jane Goss two years ago. 

LFP GOV WATCH describes itself as a “non-partisan civic organization.”

The organization said that the two endorsed candidates share its commitment to “ensuring that the City of Lake Forest Park remains livable, affordable, and sustainable by encouraging, supporting, and promoting a responsible and effective City government.”


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Guest speaker Rod Dembowski will brief Pro Shoreline on King County Parks & EMS Levies

Pro Shoreline will hear from special guest speaker King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski about the 2013 King County Parks and the EMS Levy at their meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 6:30pm at the Shoreline Fire Department, 17525 Aurora Ave N  Shoreline 98133 (enter parking lot going southbound on Aurora, just north of 175th)

Burke-Gilman Trail

King County provides many basic services and revenue sources to cities and citizens within the county. Come learn about the proposed renewal of the these two levies and the services they will maintain for our community. 

Parks Levy
King County Council approved a measure for the August 6, 2013 primary election ballot to replace the current parks levies, which expire at the end of 2013. The measure would generate an estimated $66 million per year from 2014 through 2019 through a CPI-indexed property tax levy lid lift of 18.77 cents per $1,000 of assessed value – an estimated $56 per year for the owner of a home valued at $300,000. This levy would ensure the County’s 26,000 acres of parks, open space and 175 miles of trails remain open and can be maintained. The levy would also support the Woodland Park Zoo and a limited set of strategic enhancements to provide more and improved County parks and trails; acquire additional open space to serve our growing region; and fund two major trail corridors.

EMS Levy
This proposed renewal of a six-year levy would continue uniform medical care anywhere in the county, anytime. The current EMS levy expires on December 31, 2013. Therefore, a reauthorization of the EMS levy is necessary to provide a seamless transition into the new levy period. The EMS task force (a group of 19 elected officials) recommended a levy rate of 33 cents per $1,000 of AV (assessed value) to cover a projected expenditure level of $695 million over the six-year course of the levy program.


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Perfect Toffee at the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market Sunday

Photo by Jerry Pickard
Satisfy your sweet tooth with toffee from Pete's Perfect Toffee, at the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market Sunday, from 11am to 4pm.

The Market is set up on the lower level of Town Center and features food, produce, gourmet snacks, flowers, eggs, meat, fish, and the occasional alpaca...


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Secret Gardens Revealed

Photo by Jerry Pickard

By Sarah Phillips

The 2013 Secret Gardens of Lake Forest Park Garden Tour and Plant Sale was a huge success. More garden enthusiasts than ever toured the gardens and attended the plant sale.

The hallmark of the tour every year is the surprise gardens. The delightful surprises are revealed behind gates and in backyards all over Lake Forest Park.

This year was no different. Walking behind a small green home, visitors were invited into a large mature garden with a stream running through the property. A guesthouse set aside for reading provided a refuge from everything.

Potting shed
Photo by Jerry Pickard

If you were lucky enough to be there when Peter Ali, the flute player, serenaded visitors you were in for a real pleasure. The music wafted over the meadow enhancing the visit to the garden.

Music was a treat in Armond and Walters’ garden too. Dan Voetmann played the guitar and sang as visitors strolled in the garden; his deep-throated voice filled the neighborhood with music and invited visitors to enjoy music and the gardens.

This crowded garden full of statuary and plants was an indulgence. No matter where you looked there were whimsical statuary, wandering paths, and delightful surprises.

One of the surprises in the “dog garden”  was the notion of going from room to room.  The compact garden featured space for chickens and dogs, and also had lots of places to delight guests.

Photo by Jerry Pickard

Two gardens rounded out the tour: one featured an entryway flanked by bollards from the old elephant enclosure from the zoo with compactly planted flowers and shrubs. The garden highlighted shade plantings and was filled with delightful garden art.

The final garden highlighted a way to manage rainwater from the roof with a rain garden. Water runoff was directed to a depressed garden filled with native plants and slowly percolated through the soil mimicking the natural manner water is absorbed.

Water feature
Photo by Jerry Pickard

Four of the gardens were Certified Wildlife Habitats demonstrating ways to blend gardens, birds, chickens, dogs and rainwater. These secret places revealed beauty and ingenuity in small and large spaces, in mature and new gardens. And just wait to see what surprises are in store for next year.

The proceeds of the tour support four local organizations and public art in Lake Forest Park.  If you are interested in joining the garden tour committee, or if you know of a garden the tour should consider for next year, email the garden committee



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Community discussion and information session on Shoreline’s draft Climate Action Plan

Are you concerned about the effects of climate change on our community? Interested in learning what the City of Shoreline is doing to reduce its carbon footprint? Want to know how you can make a difference?

You are invited to join a community discussion and information session on the City’s draft Climate Action Plan on Wednesday, July 10 from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the Shoreline City Council Chamber. Climate change in the Northwest affects our water supply, homes, health, and economy. By taking action now, we can lessen its impacts and work together to keep Shoreline a great place to live for future generations.

The Plan includes an updated inventory of Shoreline’s greenhouse gas emissions and an action plan highlighting how residents, businesses, and the City itself can help address climate change. Once released, community members are invited to provide feedback on the report online or during the July 10th community conversation.

For more information contact Environmental Programs Coordinator Rika Cecil, 206-801-2452.



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Four local boys in Northwest Boychoir concert tour


Tues, June 25, 7:30pm Tour Kick-Off Concert at Plymouth Church, 1217 6th Ave, Seattle 98101.

Reserved Seating: $20 adult, $15 senior, $10 student
Tickets online or by phone 206-524-3234


Grammy-Nominated Northwest Boychoir Presents Tour Kick-Off Concert in Seattle

You’ve heard them on movie soundtracks and on your favorite video games. Now you can hear the Seattle-based, Grammy-nominated Northwest Boychoir as they present their Tour Kick-Off Concert on Tuesday, June 25 at 7:30 pm at Plymouth Church in Seattle.

The Northwest Boychoir, whose 40 members hail from all corners of the greater Seattle area, will perform a program featuring sacred works, including Laudate pueri by Mendelssohn, excerpts from Pergolesi's beautiful Stabat mater, as well as other beautiful classical works, folk songs and Americana.

From left: Altay Sarikaya, Jacob Espling, Ian Moo, Matthew Lewis

Four members of the choir are local, from Shoreline and Lake Forest Park:


  • Matthew Lewis, age 14, homeschooled
  • Ian Moo, age 14, Stanford University Online High School
  • Altay Sarikaya, age 13, Kellogg Middle School
  • Jacob Espling, age 13, Einstein Middle School



This concert is part of the boychoir’s two-week 2013 Southeast Concert Tour which includes performances at the prestigious Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro. Additional public concerts include performances in Burlington, Asheville, Brevard, and Raleigh in North Carolina, as well as a public concert in Charlottesville, Virginia. Full tour schedule here.


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