The Shoreline Library is a great, friendly place to go

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Shoreline Library
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
By Zeth Peterka, age 14

The Shoreline library is a great place to go and get books, but it is also a great place to go and read a book in one of their comfortable chairs, use their free computers and printers, or get some work done.

The librarians at the Shoreline Library are very nice and can help you find a book or answer any of your questions. With one of their free library cards you can use their computers and printers for up to two hours a day for free. There is free Wi-Fi at the library and some study/quiet areas where you can get work done.

They also have free certified tutors available to help people with schoolwork of any subject. The Shoreline Library has a great selection of DVDs, CDs, books on tape, newspapers, and magazines. Is always heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer. The Shoreline Library is a great, friendly place that you should check it out.     

Shoreline Library Information
Address: 345 NE 175th Street
Shoreline, WA 98155 
Number: 206-362-7550

Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 10am-9pm
Friday: 10am-6pm
Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: Noon-8pm 


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5th grade Ridgecrest student takes books to Uganda schools

Grady Lee, center, with 5th grade students in Uganda,
who are holding the book he brought them

Grady Lee, a fifth grade student at Ridgecrest Elementary school, traveled almost 9,000 miles to Luwero, Uganda to deliver three books to other fifth grade students. Grady and his family went to Uganda on spring break as volunteers with Teach the Children, a non-profit organization working to increase literacy and educational opportunities for children in Uganda. 

Ugandan 5th grader looks at a photo of Ridgecrest students

Before the trip, Grady's librarian and teacher helped him select the books that he would take to students in Uganda. His class then signed each book, and took photographs of them holding it. Grady was able to present the books directly to fifth grade classes at the three schools he visited. The students were excited to receive the books, and to see pictures and hear about Grady’s own school and classmates in the United States. 

Grady was also involved with other projects at the schools, and worked alongside other volunteers, building desks, chalkboards, and concrete floors, and providing much-needed textbooks and school supplies to teachers and students.

There was time to hang out and have fun
Green shirts are Teach the Children staff and volunteers,
including Grady Lee of Shoreline

It was a lot of work, but there was always time for play as well. Grady had the opportunity to sit in on a fifth grade class at one of the schools, and participated in their normal classroom instruction, even completing an assignment! He also made it a point to spend time with the kids – making friends, playing soccer, and teaching them how to play UNO. 

His experience was a once in a lifetime; it’s one that changed him – how he views the world, and his place in it.



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The world of Miro at the Lake Forest Park Library Saturday

Art Historian Susan Olds will present a preview of the exhibit on surrealist artist Joan Miro currently at the Seattle Art Museum on Saturday, March 22, 2pm at the Lake Forest Park Library.

The World of MirĂł will include the artist's early life, artistic influences, diary entries and letters, association with the surrealists, experiments in abstraction and cubism, automatic drawing, creation of his unique constellation series and development of his later body of work.

Lake Forest Park Library, lower level Town Center, intersection of Bothell Way and Ballinger Way.


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Shorewood opens soccer season Tuesday with 2-1 home loss to Woodinville going into Friday home match with Kennedy

Photos by Wayne Pridemore

Woodinville’s Bobby Luo goes over the back of Shorewood’s Colby Hodgen
The Shorewood boys’ soccer team opened its season with a 2-1 home loss to Woodinville going into another home non-conference match Friday against Kennedy Catholic of Burien.

Thunderbird Jack Allen (in white and blue) kicks the ball
down the sideline past a Falcon defender.

In the home loss to Woodinville, Shorewood opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a penalty-kick goal by Taj McChesney after he was fouled in the box. The half ended with Shorewood leading, 1-0.

Shorewood’s Connor McGrath in white and blue
 and his opponent fight for position to control the ball.

In the second half, Woodinville tied the score on a penalty kick in the 53rd minute. Fourteen minutes later, the same Woodinville player found the net for the game winner.

Falcon Mesfin Symons heads the ball past Shorewood’s Ali Uvence
(in white and blue)

Woodinville now has a 2-0 record, while Shorewood is 0-1.

T-Bird Callahan Gobel, number 5, keeps the ball in play.

Kyle Crawford and Isaac Whitaker shared goal-keeping duties for Shorewood.

Woodinville’s Cole Grimsby comes over the top of Shorewood’s Sean McCurdy.

Shorewood and Kennedy meet Friday at 7:30pm at Shoreline Stadium, with junior varsity teams from the two schools playing at 5:30pm.



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Shorewood softball team opens season with 16-6 home victory over Mariner

The Shorewood softball team plays at Kamiak Thursday after a 16-6 home victory over Mariner Tuesday in a game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.

The Thunderbirds and Kamiak meet at 4 p.m. Thursday at Kamiak High School, with junior varsity teams from the two schools playing at the same time at nearby Harbour Pointe Middle School.

The Shorewood junior varsity defeated Mariner, 19-11, Tuesday.

Shorewood varsity 16, Mariner 6
At Meridian Park, Tuesday, March 18

                       1    2    3    4    5        R    H    E

Mariner           0    1    0    0    5        6     2    1

Shorewood     5    3    6    0    2       16   15   2

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Shorewood opens regular baseball season Thursday with game at Kamiak postponed from Wednesday

The Shorewood varsity and junior varsity baseball teams open their 20-game regular season Thursday with games against Kamiak that were postponed from Wednesday.

The 3A Shorewood varsity and 4A Kamiak met at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo Wednesday with junior varsity teams from the two schools playing at the same time at Shorewood’s home Meridian Park fields.

Shorewood then plays 4A Mariner Friday at 4 p.m., with varsity teams playing at Meridian Park and JV teams meeting at Mariner High School.

*NOTE: The original version of this story said incorrectly that the Kamiak games would be Tuesday.

Updated 12:26am

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Shorewood tennis team opens season with 4-3 victory at Stanwood

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Shorewood girls' tennis team opened its season Tuesday with a 4-3 victory at Stanwood, going into a Wednesday match at Marysville-Pilchuck.
  
The Thunderbirds and Marysville meet on M-P's home courts at Totem Middle School at 3:30pm Thursday, with junior varsity teams from the two schools meeting at the same time on Shorewood's home Shoreview Park courts.
  
In Shorewood's victory over Stanwood, seniors Daniella Brengelmann, number one singles and Marija Feller, number two singles, defeated their Stanwood opponents to lead the Shorewood Thunderbirds to a 4-3 win over Stanwood, at Stanwood, to start their season. Also winning for the T-Birds were Jelena Bojic at number three singles and number two doubles team Emily Wright and Amy Buswell.

SHOREWOOD 4  STANWOOD 3

SINGLES
1. Daniella Brengelmann SW def. Alessia Piazzi ST 6-0, 6-3
2. Marija Feller SW def. Kyrie Stevens ST 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Caylyn Rich ST def. Ellie Allen-Hatch SW 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)
4 Jelena Bojic SW def. Taryn Smith ST 7-5, 6-2

DOUBLES
1. Mariah Orcutt / Alyssa Sanford ST def. Jenny Ahan / Yuanne Corbett SW 6-2, 6-1
2. Emily Wright / Amy Buswell SW def. Kiki Dillon / Shayla Allen ST 7-5, 6-3
3. Yasmine Hejazi / Abby Spencer ST def. Grace Taylor / Jessica Yuen SW 7-6 (9-7), 6-2

Records: Shorewood 1-0  Stanwood 0-1


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Shoreline City Council to interview candidates for Library Board Thursday

Shoreline City Council subcommittee will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2014 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm in room 104 of City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, to interview the candidates for Library Board.

The meeting is open to the public, but public comment will not be on the agenda for this subcommittee meeting.

Updated 03-20-2014 7:10pm



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Meet the 12th Man at Costco on Thursday

Mark Tye Turner, #12 Seahawks Fan
Think you know Seahawks history? Test your Largent, Bosworth, and Russell Wilson trivia on Thursday, from 5-7pm, at the Shoreline Costco when Mark Tye Turner, author of ‘Notes of a 12 Man: A Truly Biased History of the Seattle Seahawks,’ makes an appearance.

Turner is an Emmy-award winning writer who chronicled his passion for his favorite team into a book full of tidbits including  “The Greatest Play That Didn’t Officially Count’ and ‘Our Best Loss Ever.’ (Hint: It’s not the Pittsburgh Superbowl). 

Head to Costco this Thursday to get the answers straight from the 12th Man.

For more information on the 12th Man’s book, see the website.


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Bring the family to the Robotics District Event Friday, Saturday


Pits open 8am, matches begin 11am on Friday at Shorewood High School, and 9:30am on Saturday.
See Shorewood's Team Pronto and King's CyberKnights.

Shorewood High School, 17300 Fremont Ave N, Shoreline 98133.

Free admission - open to the public.


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Monday deadline to register to vote in April special election

By Evan Smith

Monday, March 24, is the last day for voters to register by mail or online for the April 22 special election, or for currently registered Washington voters to change their voting addresses.

Voters who want to register by mail can get material at many libraries and at most post offices, or they can download forms from the King County elections website or the secretary of state's website.

Voters can register online by following links from either website. The secretary of state's registration website is here. The King County Elections website is here

New Washington voters can register through April 14, but they must register in person at the county elections office in Renton or at the voter registration annex in the county administration building in downtown Seattle.

The county transportation tax measure is the only item on Shoreline and Lake Forest Park ballots.

The proposal would increase the sales tax throughout the County by 0.1 cents per dollar, and establish a $60 vehicle-license fee, with the two to generate about $130 million per year for Metro Transit, city streets and rural roads, with 60 percent of the revenue going to Transit and 40 percent for streets and roads

People with incomes less than 45 percent of the median countywide household income would get a $20 rebate on the vehicle-license fee.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com


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Gardener Gathering Saturday at Cromwell Park

Saturday, March 22, 1-3pm, Cromwell Park, 18030 Meridian Ave N to learn All About Rain Gardens. Free, family-friendly event.


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Shoreline City Manager's Report

By Debbie Tarry, Shoreline City Manager
Weekly Update for week of 3/17/2014

Council Meetings
·     March 17:
Business Meeting:   
§ Appointment of Planning Commissioners. The Council appointed the following - Donna Moss, Jack Malek, and Terri Strandberg.
§ Waive Council Rules and Reappoint the 2013 Council Subcommittee for Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Board Appointment. There is a vacancy as a result of the resignation of Kevin McAuliffe. Mayor Winstead and Councilmembers McConnell and Roberts served on the committee in 2013. Council waived their rules so the committee can review the applications received in 2013 to make a recommendation for appointment to fill the vacancy. Staff will schedule the appointment recommendation for action on March 24.
§ Ten Year Financial Sustainability Strategy Update: Staff updated the full Council on the recommended strategies from the Council sub-committee.
·     March 24:
Dinner Meeting: Council will hear information from the Directors of: the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council (Fred Wong), Shoreline Historical Museum (Vicki Stiles) and Shoreline Farmers Market Association (Brendan Lemkin). Staff will also provide information about Celebrate Shoreline.
Business Meeting: 
§ Annual Traffic Update: Staff will share with Council the process that our Traffic Division and Police Department have used to develop action plans to address higher accident locations within the City, a review of the effectiveness of past improvements and efforts to lower accident rates of key intersections and corridors, and opportunities for enforcement and/or engineering solutions to address high collision intersections or road segments.

Point Wells Update
·     Approximately 40 residents attended TCS Workshop #3 last Thursday night. This workshop was focused on reviewing several road cross-section options for Richmond Beach Drive. Participants were able to look at overlay maps with proposed width of road, bicycle lanes and amenity zones and provide comments on what they liked and didn’t like. Given the light turn-out staff will be working with the residents along Richmond Beach Drive to see if we can do a couple of house meetings to have more feedback from the residents along this stretch. We will also put the information on the website to solicit feedback. 
·     The next Traffic Corridor Study workshop is scheduled for March 19 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. This will be Workshop #4 focused on Segment B – Richmond Beach Road and the areas east of 24th NW.

SPU Acquisition Update
On Monday, Mayor Winstead had a conference call with Seattle Mayor Murray to discuss the acquisition. Mayor Murray’s office will be scheduling a face-to-face in the near future. On Wednesday, March 19, Councilmember Hall will be meeting with Nick Harper, Seattle’s Intergovernmental Director, to discuss the importance of the SPU acquisition to Shoreline, along with other topics. I have a meeting scheduled with Ray Hoffman, SPU Executive Director, for Monday, March 24.

Financial Update
February 2014 Sales Tax, Real Estate Excise Tax, and Development Revenue Report. Total sales tax receipts for the month of February, which reflects activity from December 2013, are $54,186, or 8.2%, greater than projections and 2.4% ahead of the same period for last year. REET collections through February 2014 total $185,252 and are running ahead of projection by $14,217, or 8.3%, and ahead of 2013 collections by $58,812, or 46.4%. Permit revenue for the first two months of 2014 is 21% ahead of the targeted year-to-date projection and 16% ahead of the year-ago level. 
   
This and That
·     Seattle City Light sent the City a construction notification regarding work in the coming months that will occur at the Shoreline Substation. The work is to replace an old power transformer to increase system reliability. 
·     Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is hosting a Leprechaun Hunt during the entire month of March in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Clues are hidden around the Garden that lead children (and I guess adults too) to special treats. In addition participants are learning about Shamrocks and rainbows are encouraged to explore the trees and plants that they encounter during their hunt. The Garden staff tell us that between 50 and 80 people per day have brought their kids to the Garden to do the hunt!


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Nominations for 2014 Shoreline Teacher of the Year due April 1

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Nominations are now being accepted for 2014 Shoreline Teacher of the Year. Nominations may be made by staff, students, parents, and other community members. Only a single nomination letter is required.

The nominee must be a full-time certificated staff member employed by the Shoreline School District for at least 5 years. 

Nominations for Teacher of the Year are due in the Public Information Office at Shoreline Center by Tuesday, April 1, 2014. The recipient will be recognized at a reception May 12 before the School Board meeting. Teacher Appreciation Week will be celebrated May 12 to 16. The Shoreline Teacher of the Year receives a grant from the Shoreline Public Schools Foundation, and is forwarded for Washington State Teacher of the Year consideration.

A link to the form is available here. Contact the Public Information Office at 206-393-4412 if you have any questions about the form and process.


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Shoreline graduate dies in KOMO helicopter crash

Bill Strothman
Photographer Bill Strothman, who died Tuesday in a fiery helicopter crash, is a 1970 graduate of Shoreline High School. After graduation, he attended the University of Washington, graduating in 1974 with a B.A. in Economics.

His LinkedIn page describes him:
"Bill Strothman is an award winning television photojournalist, producer and editor and producer with a national reputation for producing creative, quality work independently and under extreme deadlines. 
"Bill started Glass Mountain Video Productions in 2008 to provide high quality high definition broadcast quality video production to clients in the Seattle area."
He worked for KOMO as a photographer for 29 years, winning many honors and awards:

  • Thirteen regional Emmy Awards for excellence in television production
  • International Monitor Award for Best Camera in News and Documentaries presented at the Lincoln Center in New York, 1986
  • National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Regional Television Photographer of the Year, 1990
  • NPPA national awards for news and sports videography
  • Multiple regional awards from the NPPA and Society of Professional Journalism
  • “Best of the West” award for documentary production.
  • National Gabriel Award
  • National Telly award for nature documentary “Islands of Nature”
  • NPPA Advanced Story Telling Workshop faculty member.

In 2008 he started his own business, Glass Mountain Video Productions, and worked as a photojournalist for Helicopters, Inc.

KOMO covered the story, which happened on the street next to their building.


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Quotable quotes


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    "I think we all have a need to know
     what we do not need to know."

    "If I’ve told you once,
     I’ve told you a thousand times: resist hyperbole."

    "English is a stretch language; one size fits all."

    "A dependent clause is like a dependent child:
     incapable of standing on its own but able to cause a lot of trouble." 

                                --William Safire

     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

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Pollet, Farrell, Kagi, Ryu bill to help renovate, reopen schools to deal with enrollment growth dies in Senate on final Day

A bill to support school-construction introduced Feb. 26 in the state House of Representatives by Reps. Gerry Pollet, Jessyn Farrell, Ruth Kagi, Cindy Ryu and almost half of the members of the House of Representatives with the aim of relieving overcrowding in urban schools failed to pass the State Senate, which sent it back to the House Rules Committee March 13, the final day of the 2014 legislative session.

Pollet said at the bill’s introduction that the bill would help the state meet its obligation to provide lower class sizes.

The legislation authorizes the sale of $700 million in bonds to pay both for building new, full-day kindergarten classrooms and for reducing class sizes in kindergarten through third grade.

Pollet noted that Seattle Public Schools officials estimate that the district needs to build 346 new classrooms to meet a constitutional duty both to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade and to provide full-day kindergarten for every student.

Pollet said the new money for school-construction bonds "will help us meet our children’s constitutional rights to have an appropriate space to learn with lower class sizes.

“We have special-education and reading-needs children being taught in hallways and on stages in lunchrooms, during lunch. Schools where parents labored to build computer and science labs have had those labs torn out to make space to lighten the load on overcrowded classrooms. Further, we're simply out of any more space for portables or expansion at many of our existing school sites.
"So many Seattle schools are horribly overcrowded. This severe overcrowding nightmare in Seattle has been growing worse for many years because of biases against urban districts in the state's construction formula."

Pollet and Farrell are Democrats representing the 46th Legislative District, including Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and northeast Seattle. Kagi and Ryu are Democrats representing the 32nd District, including Shoreline, part of northwest Seattle, Woodway, south Edmonds, unincorporated areas of southwest Snohomish County near Edmonds and Woodway, Lynnwood and part of Mountlake Terrace.


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Do you have an Emergency Plan?

Gail Marsh doing outreach at Einstein

Shoreline Emergency Services says:

Remember last week when Shoreline Mayor, Shari Winstead, urged citizens to have an emergency plan? It doesn’t matter your age, everyone should be prepared.

For the past two weeks, Gail Harris, City of Shoreline Emergency Management Coordinator, visited Einstein Middle School sharing her expertise on earthquakes and the importance of being prepared for any disaster.

Don’t wait, disasters can happen at any time, get prepared! Please visit Shoreline's emergency services page for more info.


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New high school student scholarships offered for Shoreline Christian


Shoreline Christian School announced this week that they will be offering New High School Student Scholarships for the 2014-15 school year.

"We are thrilled to offer scholarships to new high school students. We have a strong desire to partner with parents as we help their children prepare for the next steps," said Mr. Tim Visser, Administrator at Shoreline Christian School. 

Each new high school student is eligible for an annual $1000 scholarship during their high school tenure at SCS. Scholarships will be applied to tuition four months after the start of school. In addition to the Annual Scholarship, there is a Bonus Scholarship! The Bonus Scholarship is for the purpose of continuing education and will be submitted to the student's college of choice.

Shoreline Christian High School is committed to providing the depth and breadth and quality of Christian education that challenges students to become lifelong learners. Through a rigorous, college-prep-oriented curriculum that is enriched with AP courses and opportunities in athletics, arts, leadership and service, our students finish high school well-prepared for the journey God has given them.

For more information about this scholarship program or to learn more about the SCS visit the school website.


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Crohn’s & Colitis Patient Education Conference


Saturday, April 12, 2014, 9:00am - 3:30pm Shoreline Community College

Join the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) for this annual education program all about Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Leading Seattle area health care providers will present current information on a range of topics to empower patients to take an active role in managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This program is free to attend and open to the public. Learn more and register here or contact Kathleen Newbould, Regional Education & Support Manager at 425-451-8455, ext. 6.


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Need to spring clean? Support Shorecrest's music department by filling the van

Monday, March 17, 2014

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND AND THE NEED TO SPRING CLEAN! 

Help Support Shorecrest’s
Music department!

Fill the van for the bands….


Bring your quality reusable clothing and household items. 

All electronics including televisions, computer monitors, desktop computers and laptops. No furniture bigger than an end table will be accepted at this time.

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014 from 10:00am-2:00pm in front of Shorecrest's new building, 15343 25th Ave NE, Shoreline 98155.

FYI: Goodwill normally does not pay for donations – but they have a special fundraiser program for schools. They pay up to $500 for a full 24 foot box truck – and up to $500 for each truck thereafter! While donors are helping Shorecrest Band and Orchestra go to Disneyland – their donations are also helping Goodwill provide free education to over 8500 people in Western Washington!


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Rat City Rollergirls celebrate 10th anniversary

The jammers try to break through the defenders
to score points
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg
Text and Photos by Marc Weinberg

Key Arena .... March 15 was not just another Rat City Rollergirls match as usual - which was thrilling as expected - but it was the half time that created a lasting image for me. That was a match between two junior teams from the Seattle Derby Brats in the 8-12 year age bracket in the division called the "Tootsy Rollers."

In the Tootsie Roller category, Orange Crush meet the
Turquoise Terrors. Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

These young girls had all the enthusiasm, determination, and the appearance of their 'big sisters'.   I can't wait to watch them grow. Their participation was part of a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Rat City Rollergirls league with prizes and acknowledgments for major players and supporters over these years.  

Fan enthusiasm is half the fun
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

The next Key Arena match is April 12 and will be a big one because it will determine the composition of the Rat City All Stars who will then compete against the other leagues. The fun and excitement is not just on the floor. It's in the stands too. Support Shoreline's only professional team. Go to the website for tickets and time.


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WeatherWatcher: Week ahead, lots of rainfall

Get out your umbrellas - lots of rainfall ahead

  • Forecast
  • Last week's data
Forecast: More rain on the way starting Tuesday night and ending in showers Thursday. Due to partial clearing at nights I'm expecting lows to dip into the mid-30's both Tuesday morning and Thursday morning. It's possible a heavy shower could move through Thursday morning bringing some mixed rain and snow, or very wet snow down to the inland areas of Shoreline or Lake Forest Park. No accumulations are really expected, not something I would worry about. Friday will start drying out for our first full day of spring. The weekend looks mostly dry with highs in the mid-upper 50's, lows in the low 40's or upper 30's. Areas in the open could see slight frosting from radiative cooling in the morning hours on some mornings from now through the weekend.

Last week: We had a lot of rain last week, and really this month so far. The switch from clear skies to winter weather was flipped in February and now nature has been making up for our dry winter in a big way. Mountain snow pack has surpassed 100% of normal in most locations when I checked last week, all threats of a drought for the Northwest are diminished. Total rainfall for the month of March to date is 5.86 inches, this is in 2 weeks and 2 days time!

High temperature: 59.7°F (Wednesday)
Low temperature: 36.1°F (Wednesday)
Rainiest day: 0.89 inches (Saturday)
Total rainfall: 1.58 inches
Warmest day: 51.2°F (Sunday)
Coldest day: 44.9°F (Tuesday)
Average temperature: 47.3°F (5.9°F warmer than normal)
Station historic average: 41.4°F 

For current weather conditions, please visit www.shorelineweather.com

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Echo Lake meeting to hear about Transportation in Shoreline


The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association will hear from Shoreline Transportation Services Manager Kirk McKinley about the ongoing Aurora Corridor project, the plans for 185th and other neighborhood transportation issues.

  • How will Swift and Rapid Ride buses connect with the light rail station on 185th?
  • Where will the traffic from the Point Wells project go from Aurora?
  • How will Lake Forest Park residents get to the light rail station?
  • How can we prevent Echo Lake neighborhoods from being islands in streams of traffic?

The meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, March 18, 7-9pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, Room 301.

The Echo Lake Neighborhood is bounded by I-5, 205th, Aurora, and 185th.


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For the Birds: Missing Hummingbirds -- Really?

Anna's female sipping nectar by Doug Parrott

By Christine Southwick

Have your Anna’s Hummingbirds all of a sudden gone missing? Are you afraid that something has happened to them? You are not alone—several people have asked me this question just this week.

Feeding the nestlings by Dennis Paulson

What you are probably noticing is the lack of females drinking the nectar. Right now, many of our local female Anna’s are on nests, and starting to feed their nestlings. One of the reasons that Anna’s can survive here year-round is because the Anna’s Hummingbird eat more bugs (think tiny) daily, than any other North American hummingbird. Female Anna’s only feed their nestlings regurgitated bugs by sticking their long bill down the throats of their young (It’s really quite a frightful sight the first time you see the mother feeding her nestlings.) While they are feeding their young they are also eating enough bugs for themselves.

Male Anna's by Jon Timmer

Another part of the picture is that a female on a nest, when she does want some nectar, will usually start using the closest nectar feeder, instead of visiting all the neighborhood feeders as both the males and females do the rest of the year. I have one feeder back near tall evergreens that every year about this time goes down faster than any other time of the year. That also means that my other feeder goes down much more slowly—so slowly, in fact, that I sometimes think the feeder isn’t being used. Then, almost at dark, I will see a handsome male gulping down nectar until the feeder burps an air bubble. Maybe the reason it is so hard to notice the males drinking nectar is that the males tend to dart in, often staying on the wing, whereas the females will usually perch while drinking thus making their stops longer.

Female Anna's on nest by Doug Parrott

Hummingbird nests are quite amazing. By using strands from spider webs, the female is able to build a petite nest small enough to snugly hold the one to two eggs, and that expands to hold two full-sized nestlings. That’s quite an engineering feat. She will twine plant fibers, feathers, and small leaves into her cup-shaped nest. She often camouflages the outside with lichens and mosses, making the nest hard to find.

So those of you worried about your hummers vanishing, relax. The females will be back soon, along with the juveniles who haven’t a clue about how to use a feeder.


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Running Club starts 8 week track program Wednesday

Join us this week for our first...

Track Workout
Wednesday!

Einstein Track

Wednesday March 19, 6:15


This Wednesday, the Richmond Beach Running Club is starting up a great new 8-week track program. For many of you who were a part of our track workouts last year, we look forward to having you back and seeing your improvements once again this year.

If you have not come out to our track workouts, or have never done track before, we really encourage you to try it out - you'll be surprised how running on a track is really different, not necessarily harder and clearly improves one's running. It is also fun and social as we all get to participate together for the hour.

We will start promptly at 6:15 and end at 7:15 so get there earlier to run a few warm-up laps and stretch. Our goal is generally 3-5 miles of running depending on the week, less towards the beginning, increasing as our training improves. We will generally be at Kings Track, but the first week is at Einstein due to a scheduling conflict.

We look forward to seeing you all out! Bring your kids of all ages as they can participate or just play on the track and are a welcome addition to the group.

Come out and support the group and run fast!

Thanks, and see you Wednesday!
— Scott and Jeffrey


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County voter registration annex makes short move Monday

When the King County voter registration annex opened Monday morning, it had moved one floor in the County Administration Building.

The annex is now in Room 440 of the County Administration Building, 500 4th Ave., Seattle. 

The annex is open weekdays from 8:30am to 1pm and from 2pm to 4:30pm for voter registration, change of voting address or picking up material for registration by mail.

Anyone can register for the Feb. 22 special election through March 24 by mail, online at the Secretary of State’s website, or in person at either the elections registration annex or the county elections office in Renton.

New Washington voters can register through April 14, but they must register in person at either the county elections office or at the registration annex.

The county transportation tax measure is the only item on local ballots.


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After stitching you up, hospitals give ‘first aid’ to enrollment

A Swedish staff member helps enroll patients at a December event on First Hill.

By Britt Olson

With the blood flow finally stanched by gauze, glue and several hundred dollars’ worth of stitches, you now sit propped up in a stiff but comforting hospital bed. Your family members survey the damage, and a hospital administrator enters the room, clasping a laptop in her hands. She is there to sign you up for health insurance.

The financial costs of your medical misadventure could tally well over $2,000 for, say, three stitches. That’s why King County hospitals, such as Swedish and UW Medicine, have their staff patrol the ER, approaching the uninsured and eligible with the new options available to them from Washington Healthplanfinder.

Creating teams of assisters
“We have been very proactive at Swedish,” said Tom Gibbon, External Affairs and Community Specialty Clinic Manager. “What used to be 'hospital financial counselors' became patient advocates and 'in-person assisters.'” Swedish now has 25 people dedicated to a Quality Involvement Team at its five hospitals. They help patients manage their insurance options.

Hospitals, including Swedish and Seattle's Harborview, are also identifying patients before they arrive, reaching out to the uninsured by phone and mail prior to scheduled appointments.

“When people call for appointments we remind them that we can help them with that. We try to set them up with a social worker or financial adviser who can enroll them,” said Debra Gussin, Harborview Associate Administrator. UW Medicine has over 200 staff members certified as in-person assisters, covering its four hospitals (including Harborview) and its clinics.

Becoming an everyday event

Many King County hospitals have hosted enrollment events and paired with community partners who offer the same. But as Gussin acknowledges, “This needs to be part of an everyday medical experience, not just a special event.”

Harborview has thousands of uninsured patients and provides over $200 million in charity care a year.
At Swedish, Tom Gibbon said, “Our ER is full of people who don't need to be there, which everyone pays for. Taxpayers are paying for this. That cost is passed on to the public. It will free up our ER for the urgent care and medical emergencies that need to be there. In that way, we will have huge savings.”

Having insurance not only helps guarantee that patients are getting the right care at the right location, but it makes preventive care possible. “If you start intervention on a diabetic patient early on, that person is not using a ton of services down the road,” Gibbon said.

Lost in translation and misinformation

But enrolling the uninsured hasn’t always been an easy sell, especially last fall.

“In the beginning, people said they would do it later. People were hearing a lot of rumors about it, so it was an education issue, rumors that it would be very expensive anyway,” said Gibbon. “When we got people online they were shocked. Pretty soon we had people referring by word of mouth.”

Language barriers and confusion over general insurance terminology are also barriers to enrollment, so translation and education are a major focus for all hospitals. “We have excellent interpreters on hand,” Gibbon said.

Success and expansion of efforts

Harborview has enrolled more than 4,000 people, with the entire UW Medicine group registering 6,000 individuals and families. Swedish has enrolled over 1,600 individuals. Both medical providers have also referred thousands of patients to other insurance enrollment events.

And Harborview has launched a pilot program to explore subsidizing the monthly premiums or copays of Washington Healthplanfinder plans for patients who don’t quite qualify for Apple Health, the state’s form of Medicaid.

“There are still people who fall through the cracks and we are still dedicated to providing care to them,” said Gussin.

Enrolling in a health plan online starts here.


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Are you getting married? King County Recorder's Office has moved

The King County Recorder's Office in downtown Seattle has a new home. The office is now located in Suite 430 of the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave. The new spot on the fourth floor is conveniently located just off the Fifth Avenue lobby of the building.

The Recorder's Office records and provides access to more than 350 types of documents, including marriage license applications, real estate filings, plat maps, and more. Office hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. Call the Recorder's Office at 206-477-6620 or visit the website.


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Shorewood to host qualifying events for two-state robotics program

Photo by Steven H. Robinson
Shorewood High School will host one of the qualifying events for FIRSTWA and FIRST®, the organizations who sponsor high school Robotics programs. 

The event will be held Friday and Saturday, March 21 and 22 from 8am to 6pm, with competitions starting following the opening ceremonies at 11am Friday at the new Shorewood High School commons and gymnasium, 17300 Fremont Ave N in Shoreline.

Over 700 students, ages 14 to 18 from 33 teams across Washington and Oregon will gather to compete in this year’s FIRST Robotics Challenge where the action never stops, AERIAL ASSIST. This event is hosted by Shorewood’s own Team Pronto 3070, coached by teacher Wesley Proudlove. Both Shorecrest and Shorewood High Schools will be offering new courses in robotics beginning next fall.

AERIAL ASSIST is played by two competing Alliances of three robots each on a 25’ x 54’ field, straddled by a truss suspended just over five feet above the floor. Alliances try to score as many balls in goals as possible during a 2-1/2-minute match. The more Alliances score their ball in their goals, and the more they work together to do it, the more points their Alliance receives.

Winning teams will advance to the Pacific Northwest Championship at Portland Oregon’s Memorial Coliseum on April 10. Regional winners move on to the national competition in St. Louis.

FIRST Robotics is a sport of science, technology and teamwork, combining the tremendous opportunity to develop STEM skills under the guidance of professional engineering and business mentors who volunteer their time and talents to teach the students valuable engineering, project management and entrepreneurship skills.  FIRST Robotics teams are challenged to design and build a robot in six weeks based on an annual themed challenge under strict rules, limited resources, and tight time constraints.

Students involved in FIRST are eligible for 900 individual scholarship opportunities with a total value of over $19 million.

Affiliated with U.S.FIRST, Washington FIRST Robotics designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, teamwork, and life skills.

For more information, visit the Team Pronto 3070 website, or FIRSTWA and FIRST®.


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Deadline extended for Shoreline Arts Festival Artist’s Marketplace applications

Call for Artists! - DEADLINE EXTENDED 

Deadline for Shoreline Arts Festival Artist’s Marketplace applications extended to Friday, March 21 at 11pm (PST). 

The Shoreline Arts Festival accepts over 70 artists each year to participate in its Artist Marketplace. This established area festival is celebrating its 24th year and expects well over 5,000 attendees. Show and Sell your work in the art-loving neighborhoods of North King County! 

Submissions are now open and will be accepted until the deadline of 11pm (PST), March 21, 2014 


24th Annual Shoreline Arts Festival 
Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council 
18560 1st Ave NE 
Shoreline, WA 98155 

Eligibility: We’re a juried Artists Marketplace. 
Requirements for artists include: 
  • Work must be handmade. No commercially produced work, kits, or imported goods. 
  • All work must be original and created by or under direction of the artists(s). 
  • Artist(s) must attend the entire Festival. 
  • Items must match type & quality submitted for jurying. No work by non-juried artists. 
Booth Specifications: Three types of outdoor booth spaces are available: 
  • 4’ x 10’ covered, on concrete walkway: $90 
  • 10’ x 10’ uncovered, on asphalt or grass: $125 
  • Shared 10’ x 10’ uncovered, on asphalt or grass: $180 
All booths must withstand Northwest weather conditions, with canopies weighted or staked against wind. Tables & chairs are available for rental. Overnight security is provided. In addition to booth fee, a Shoreline business licenses may be needed. 

Demonstrations: Demonstrations are strongly supported; they add to the vibrancy of the Marketplace as well as the success of the artists. Demo artists may get access to extra space and electricity (for demo purposes only), and are highlighted in the Festival guide. (Please check with the Arts Council if your demo produces noxious smells, noise, etc, that may be of concern to other vendors or attendees.) 

Jurying: The jury panel includes working artists, gallery managers, and/or Festival directors, who determine the balance of categories and select the artists. Category sizes are based in part on average sales from previous years. Jury decisions are confidential. 

DEADLINE EXTENDED: All applications must be submitted by 10:59pm(PST) Friday, March 21, 2014


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Shoreline resident pleads guilty to robbery spree in Richmond Beach and Innis Arden

In the last half of 2013, the Innis Arden and Richmond Beach areas of Shoreline suffered a sharp spike in thefts from vehicles and residential burglaries. During numerous investigations, detectives with Shoreline Police identified Shoreline resident Michael Icenhour as a probable suspect.

In a series of undercover operations, Shoreline detectives were able to set up a purchase stolen property from Icenhour including stolen firearms.

On November 29th 2013, Shoreline Police detectives, supported by King County Sheriff’s Office TAC-30 (SWAT) took Icenhour into custody. Subsequent investigation found Icenhour was responsible for numerous commercial and residential burglaries as well as a robbery of a citizen in Innis Arden.

In total, over fifty cases tied to Shoreline were cleared by his arrest.

Icenhour and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reached a plea agreement wherein Icenhour pled guilty to Robbery 1st Degree, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm 1st Degree, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Though he has yet to be formally sentenced, the KCPAO and Icenhour agreed to 102 months confinement.

Through the dedicated work of patrol, detectives, and supervisors, Shoreline Police and King County Sheriff’s Office personnel were able to build a solid case resulting in a significant amount of prison time for this career criminal.


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Spring flowers

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Photo by Lee Lageschulte
It seems like we celebrate St. Patrick's Day all year long, with our whole world wearing green. In some neighborhoods, the moss is everywhere - a beautiful green covering all the curbs and fences.

It's nice to get some color contrast with spring flowers.

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

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