Fiddler on the Roof at Seattle Musical Theatre - $10 special for former cast members - any production

Sunday, November 2, 2014



Celebrating 50 Years of the Beloved Classic

Join us for this show rich in historical and ethnic detail, whose theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality and religion. You will cry tears of laughter, joy and sadness.

Seattle Musical Theatre (formerly Seattle Light Opera) is located at Magnuson Park, 7120 62nd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Remodeled theatre and free parking.

Tickets are selling quick, so secure your seats early!


Opening Night Special Event

To honor the 50th Anniversary, SMT is inviting anyone who has ever been involved with a production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF to attend the opening night performance with a special $10 ticket offer.

Purchase your tickets

Calling all former Tevyes, Goldes, Tzeitels and the rest of the colorful characters that make up this beloved musical!

It was 1964 when Fiddler on the Roof premiered on Broadway to thunderous praise. To honor the 50th Anniversary, SMT is inviting anyone who has ever been involved with a production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF to attend the opening night performance, 7:30pm Friday, November 7, 2014, with a special $10 ticket offer.

Former Anatevka residents should bring an ID and either a photo of themselves in costume or a program from their production for a $10 ticket to opening night only; companion tickets are only $20 each. Tickets must be purchased at the door on opening night only.

Then, join us immediately after the show, where we’ll gather on stage for a group photo and champagne toast commemorate this special occasion.

Please share and help us celebrate!


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Street Trees in Shoreline - open house Tuesday

Join Tree Board members, City Staff, and Terra Firma Consulting 
in a review and discussion of the draft update to 
Shoreline's Street Tree List

Tuesday, November 4, 2014  
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
17500 Midvale Ave. N

Current approved street tree list


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Third Place Books - falling from horses, historical fishing vessels, murder in Seattle, bicycling America, and a good news chair

The usual eclectic group of authors has been scheduled for Third Place Books this week. Meet and hear from the authors of recently published books. Buy a book and get it signed - great Christmas gifts for the readers in your life.

Molly Gloss
Falling From Horses (Houghton Mifflin)
Monday, November 3 at 7pm

From the bestselling author of The Hearts of Horses and The Jump-Off Creek comes an absorbing, plainspoken, elegantly rendered novel about a young cowboy who escapes a family tragedy and travels to Hollywood to become a stunt rider in the movie.

James Cole
Drawing on Our History: Fishing Vessels of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska (Epicenter)
Wednesday, November 5 at 7pm

A wonderful collection of historically accurate drawings and illustrations complements the well researched text and brings the designs to life, while interviews with designers, builders, and fishermen fill out the historic tapestry. 

Jim Cole is a past president and honorary life member of the Puget Sound Historical Society of Seattle.

Robert Dugoni
My Sister's Grave (Thomas and Mercer)
Thursday, November 6 at 7pm

The acclaimed and bestselling author of the David Sloane series returns with a standalone novel introducing Tracy Crosswhite, a Seattle homicide detective who has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister's death.

Brian Benson
Going Somewhere: A Bicycle Journey Across America (Plume Books)
Friday, November 7 at 6:30pm

With a million vague life plans, Brian Benson meets Rachel, a self-possessed woman who daydreams of bicycling across the States, and decides to follow her wherever she'll take him. Funny, reflective, and candid, Going Somewhere invites bike enthusiasts, twenty-somethings, and armchair travelers alike to join Brian as he learns, mile by mile, how to move forward.

Harriet Arkley
The Good News Chair: A Simple Tool for Shaping a Child's Positive Behavior and Self Image
Saturday, November 8 at 6:30pm

The Good News Chair is the story of how a special chair changed the culture of an elementary school office and how it could work in either a home or classroom setting to recognize and encourage positive behavior. Harriet Arkley, a former school principal tells what happened when children sat in the Chair, and finally includes instructions on how to make your own Chair.


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Planning Commission discussion on 185th subarea continues Thursday

Thursday, November 6, 2014 – Regular Meeting
7pm, City Hall Council Chamber

Discussion of Development Regulations for the 185th Street Station Subarea


Link to full Packet which includes detailed information from the previous meeting on regulations, with citizen comments.




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Point Wells update from Save Richmond Beach

Save Richmond Beach is a citizen advocacy organization formed in response to the proposed project at Point Wells in Snohomish County. The project would add thousands of apartment units and residents to an area with one road, which is through Shoreline.


Latest report from Save Richmond Beach

Richmond Beach resident Tom McCormick met with Shoreline City Manager Debbie Tarry recently to discuss various issues concerning the proposed development at Point Wells.

Transportation Corridor Study
The last meeting with the developer, BSRE, to review results of the traffic study was September 10th. While BSRE showed some additional results at that meeting they did not leave a copy of the results with the City so the City has nothing to review yet. BSRE has not set a date for the next meeting or the delivery of the final study results.

Richmond Beach Associates plans to engage their own traffic engineer to review the study results once the City receives them. Ms. Tarry confirmed it is her intent to allow 30 days for that review.

While things could still change, at this point Ms. Tarry believes it's likely the TCS Open House to show the results to the public won't happen until spring of 2015 with final presentation to the Council happening in summer, 2015.

Two access roads
Ms. Tarry confirmed the City is requiring the TCS traffic modeling study to include an assumption for two access roads. She has also sent a letter to Woodway asking about their plans to accommodate a second access road. Ultimately the resolution of the second access road issue will be determined by Snohomish County.

Tolling on Richmond Beach Drive
The Shoreline Transportation Benefit District (whose board is the Shoreline City Council) has the authority to ask the voters to implement tolling on a city street such as Richmond Beach Drive. Ms. Tarry said City staff is studying tolling and plans to include it as part of a broader discussion with the Council regarding the City’s statutory authority to regulate City streets. This discussion is currently scheduled to occur in January, 2015. There are a number of policy questions the Council wants to consider and answer before deciding whether to pursue tolling on Richmond Beach Drive.

Tolling does require approval by the voters of Shoreline; if the Council passes an ordinance to submit tolling to the voters, a tolling measure could be on the November, 2015 ballot.

Ms. Tarry said the City has advised BSRE that it is studying tolling for Richmond Beach Drive.

Annexation
The Snohomish County Boundary Review Board's ruling against the City's attempt to assume the small area in unincorporated Snohomish County served by Ronald Wastewater raises the natural question of whether Snohomish County would approve an attempt by the City to annex all of Point Wells. Ms. Tarry said the City is continuing to discuss annexation issues with their outside counsel, Foster Pepper. Foster Pepper has advised the City that obtaining a petition from BSRE to annex to the City would provide substantial support for the City’s case.

The City is moving forward with annexation planning and has notified Snohomish County of its intent to negotiate a Master Annexation Interlocal Agreement with the County, the first step in the annexation process. The City is waiting for a response from Snohomish County.

Other traffic control measures
Ms. Tarry said that it is clear that State law provides options for the City to regulate public streets. One option she mentioned that may have the effect of limiting the amount of traffic entering Richmond Beach Drive/ Road during morning commute hours is metering, similar to what is used on the I-5 on ramps. The City is still working with BSRE on a mitigation/development agreement but Ms. Tarry said City staff could seriously consider metering if the City cannot negotiate a satisfactory agreement with the developer.

Conclusion
The fight to reduce the size and impact of development at Point Wells is far from over. Yes, we lost our attempt to have the application thrown out, but the process of examining that application in detail and making sure it follows all Snohomish County code requirements has just started. We are also encouraged that the City seems more willing to look at all the methods they might have at their disposal to control the impact of development at Point Wells. As always, we will keep sending out updates as the process continues to move forward.


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Shoreline Library Board Meeting Thursday

Thursday, November 6, 2014  6:30-8:00 p.m.
Shoreline Library, 345 NE 175th St.

Agenda Highlights include Board Development training - KCLS Staff


The Shoreline Library Board was formed by the City Council in the spring of 1996 to act as a liaison to the King County Library System Board of Trustees, the City Council and the citizens of Shoreline. 

It provides information, makes recommendations relating to the Shoreline and Richmond Beach Libraries, promotes programs and reviews library policies. The Library Board consists of nine members, including two non-voting youth members, from whom a chair and vice chair are elected annually.

There is a current opening for a Youth member. Download information and application here.


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Quick-Start Shoreline Tuesday

Join the business community at Quick-Start on Tuesday November 4th, 2014, for the second of a two part series on Sales and Business Development, from 12:00 to 1:30pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Avenue N.  Please note that you don't need to have attended session one to attend session two.

Quick-Start Shoreline is presented by Shoreline Community College Small Business Accelerator and the City of Shoreline. These workshops are designed to be helpful for start-up, existing or potential business owners. Sessions are free and open to the public. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch. 


"How to ask for the sale without
feeling like a Salesperson
Part II: Practice"

Week 2 Practice: you'll get the opportunity to actually develop the skills.

  • Do you hate doing sales? Do you feel like "out of your comfort zone" when it comes time to ask for the sale?
  • Please join us for this two part series to learn how to enjoy the process of getting new customers while being relaxed and comfortable.

Learn:
  • How to think about the process.
  • An approach that will feel natural as well as more productive.
  • How to build relationships that produce repeat business and referrals without stress. 

Steve Porter
Steve Porter is a successful sales and marketing professional who has marketed and sold everything from air conditioners to financial services to media advertising.

He’s also an accomplished trainer and presenter who’s given hundreds of presentations, to thousands of people, on four different continents, and effectively taught many different kinds of people everything from how to sell, to how to live in a different culture.

He’s recruited, trained and led sales organizations and is still out there on the frontlines, being the owner and only salesperson of Snap Marketing for Small Business.

SnapMSB connects small businesses with the marketing resources they desperately need – consulting, coaching and connections - provided by carefully selected outstanding professionals, at prices businesses can actually afford.

Steve knows many small businesses are frustrated with how hard it can be to let their target audience know what they do, so Snap offers the right marketing tools from the right providers for the right price, meaning more customers and less stress for his clients.



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Hillwood Soccer thanks Chuck Olson for support

Hillwood's Vice President, Phil Herold, Hillwood player,
and Carlos Aguilar, Sales Manager
Photo courtesy Hillwood Soccer

From Hillwood Soccer

Our local Chevy dealership, Chuck Olson Chevrolet, together with Chevrolet Corp. are big supporters of youth soccer and Hillwood Soccer Club. Every year Chuck Olson and Chevy donate soccer gear to our club. Along with the donation of the soccer gear, they also provide Hillwood Soccer with a sponsorship check.

This year, Hillwood's Vice President, Phil Herold, a Hillwood player, and Carlos Aguilar, Sales Manager with Chuck Olson, were on hand for the check presentation.

Hillwood Soccer Club would like to thank Chuck Olson and Chevy for their wonderful donations and support of youth soccer! We would also like to thank all of our coaches, managers, parents and volunteers whom give of their time to make our soccer season a success!


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First Thursday Meet & Greet the Artist at Garden Essentia

Meet November's Artists:
  
Scott Szloch (Metal Works)
Michael Prendergast (Wood/Metal)
Jaime Young (Photography-Cuban Collection)
November 6 4-8pm Open House
20152 Ballinger Way NE / Shoreline 206-453-3920 

Garden Essentia is proud to present the work of Scott Szloch and Michael Prendergast, two local metal and wood artists. Their masculine art is a blend of the traditional and the modern. 
Complementing their work we are showing the 'The Cuban Collection' by photographer Jaime Young. Their art will be available in our gallery for the month of November. 

Humpty
Scott Szloch
Scott Szloch

Since 1992 I have been expressing myself using the traditional skills and techniques (with a few modern ones) of the blacksmith. Sculptural and functional ironwork for home and garden have been my main focus. I enjoy the process of forging mild steel and I'm always trying to learn, create new and interesting objects and push the material to its limits. 

Szloch end table
Michael Prendergast

Michael Prendergast uses his 25 years of experience in the fields of wood studio furniture, metal fabrication and casting, blown and cast glass, ceramics, printmaking, and maker-oriented businesses to fuel the progress of his two companies, Pepperbox and Tool Couture.

Pepperbox started as a way to highlight the aesthetic created by blending the characteristics of a shop rat, designer, artist, and businessman.

In 2012, Michael formed Tool Couture with partner Rolf DeDamm, as a way of bringing this model to bear on a formal line of kitchen and lifestyle accoutrements.

Photo: Tobacco Factory
Jaime Young
Jaime Young

I am an enthusiast of exploring the built environment as well as the natural, and love to see how people all over the world relate to the land. A native of Seattle and a lover of the coast, I have also lived in California, Massachusetts, and various places abroad while engaged in projects.

Cuban Collection

In 2008, half a century after the Cuban Revolution, the iconic leader Fidel Castro relinquished his position as head of state to his brother RaĂşl. With RaĂşl's steps toward more free-market economic policies, the winds of change seemed to be gathering strength on the horizon. I felt an urgency to see this legendary island that has been an enduring wonder in the minds of travel-restricted US passport holders.

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Letters to Santa and Miracle on 34th Street at the Driftwood Players


The Edmonds Driftwood Players is making ready for the arrival of Santa in Edmonds. From November 28 to December 21 Santa will appear on stage in Miracle on 34th Street. If you want to see him... better hurry... tickets are going fast!

When a department store Santa is fired for coming to work drunk, an indignant Kris Kringle takes the job. But his claims that he isn’t pretending land him court! Christmas itself is on trial as a young lawyer must convince a jaded New York City that Santa is real.

We are sure he will make a BELIEVER of you too!

So, come see the show and root for Santa.

They also have a special mailbox standing ready outside the Wade James Theatre door at 950 Main Street. The mailbox is collecting letters to Santa. And yes, Santa assures us that he will be answering all letters posted in this special mailbox.
Santa will be in Edmonds
on stage with the Driftwood Players

TICKETS can be purchased ONLINE or  CALL 425-774-9600.

Performances are at the Wade James Theatre, 950 Main St Edmonds,

  • Thurs- Sat at 8:00, Sunday at 2:00, 
  • special Sat. 2:00 performance 12/6
  • ASL interpreted performance 8:00 12/6

General Admission: $25
Jr, Sr, Mil: $22


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Poem: Fledgling Flicker

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Apologies to the poet for getting her name wrong!
Fledgling Flicker
Photo by Christine Southwick


Fledgling Flicker
By Cynthia Sheridan


Mother Nature’s marvel is this flicker hatched last spring

Now splayed across my feeder, just a baby, on the wing

Like all things bright and beautiful, he comes in technichrome

While foraging with family, this backyard is his home

Dalmatian dappled fluffy chest and handsome scalloped trim

Across his neck a scarlet streak, a bib beneath his chin

Often feeding on the ground, gobbling ants and mites

Today he takes a sampling of some tasty birdseed bites

A rustle from the dogwood and the flicker lifts his head

A farewell flash of brilliant orange as wings are quickly spread

The gentle creature swoops and turns, then stops to take a rest

Beside the rotting tree where he may one day carve a nest



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Local soccer fans are happy - both Shorecrest and Shorewood win in tournament play

Local soccer fans went home happy Saturday night as both Shorecrest and Shorewood eked out hard-fought 1-0 wins in first round play District One tournament play at Shoreline Stadium.

Junior Sophia Viviano scored her 22nd goal of the season with just over two minutes to play to give the Scots their win over Sehome from the Northwest League.  

Junior Maria Zahajko kept a ball in play and pushed it forward to Viviano who squeezed a shot past Goalkeeper Alex Payne for the game-winner. It was the last of innumerable chances the Scots had on what coach Mindy Dalziel said was one of her team's best efforts of the season. 

"We played a great game in all phases - we were ready to go right from the start".

Senior defender MacKenzie Parry echoed her coach. 

"This was our strongest effort of the season, we really came out with our butts on fire", Parry said, cheekily, after the game. "Teams know they have to stop Sophia, and everybody on our team stepped up and played their best tonight."   

Sophomore Kate Wiper was in net for the Scots and got credit for her ninth shutout of the season.

Tuesday night the Scots host Burlington-Edison in the 2A District semi-finals, with the winner earning a berth to State.

In the nightcap, junior Lisa Jensen scored on a free kick with four minutes to play to give the T-Birds their win over Stanwood. The win advances the T-Birds to the 3A District semi-finals Tuesday night where they will play Arlington at 5pm on the Eagles home field.

"I'd prefer to have a free kick that's closer to the net (than from the 25 yard line), but we needed a spark so I aimed for the top-left corner and thankfully I was able to get it past the keeper," Jensen said as she described her game-winner,

T-Birds coach Bill Wilkins heaved a happy sigh after the game. "For some reason we were a step slow tonight, a little flat. Maybe it was a post-Halloween hangover - my youth team this afternoon was a step off all game, too."   

The game marked the seventh shutout of the season for senior Keeper Ashley Garay.



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National Novel Writing Month write in at Third Place Commons Mondays

NaNoWriMo Write-In 12-2pm
Monday, November 3, 10, 17, 24

November is National Novel Writing Month! Join fellow Wrimos for weekly support, word wars, and crazy writing fun.

The group meets in front of Third Place Press in The Commons at Lake Forest Park Town Center.  Look for the sign and rubber duckies!

Town Center is at the intersection of Bothell Way and Ballinger Way.



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On the Mayor's Mind: Out and About in Shoreline

Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead
On the Mayor’s Mind
November 2, 2014
By Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead

Out and About in Shoreline!

October was a really busy (and fun!) month. Especially Halloween! Did you know that Shoreline Parks and Rec holds an indoor playground, Monday - Friday, from 9:30 - 11:30am, at the Spartan Rec Center? Kids from 1 - 4 years old can come and expend some of that youthful energy. It’s also a great opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet new friends.

Friday was the annual indoor Halloween parade. I dropped in to check out the fun, and was delighted to see over 100 kids and their parents - many princesses, fire fighters, cowboys and of course super heroes galore! I arrived just after 9am to a fairly quiet rec center, and by the time I left, an hour later, the place was hoppin! Besides the indoor playground program, there were many other things going on - ballet, Spanish for preschoolers and their parents, Jazzercise, and a group of folks using the cardio and weight room.

It’s really great to see so many of our citizens enjoying the programs we offer.  There are also many other classes in the evenings and weekends. Check out the Parks / Rec guide, I’m pretty sure you will find something that interests you, because they pretty much have it all - dance lessons, jewelry making, cooking classes, and weekend tours of local areas of interest.

My second stop of the day was Park Ridge Skilled Nursing Center, a really wonderful housing and rehab facility offering housing and medical services for folks with disabilities or recovering from injuries or health issues. I was honored to speak to a large group of residents, who were very interested in what is going on in Shoreline.

I then had a meeting with the City Manager and Deputy Mayor at Grinders - it was great to see a very large lunch crowd, and to see that Discount Tire is kindly allowing Grinders’ patrons to use their parking lot - it’s so nice to see neighboring businesses supporting each other. My husband and I ended the evening with friends, enjoying dinner and live music at North City Bistro. What a day!

Not every Shoreline business has a storefront. It was with great pleasure that I was able to hire Renee Press of Fire and Earth Kitchen, to teach a fabulous cooking class at my day job, where I manage our Wellness Program. Her meals are delicious! She specializes in plant based, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan and, did I mention delicious? Renee is a fun teacher, that will teach you or cook for you! She also offers food coaching, if you are just entering the gluten-free world, and need some tips. Renee is also full of great cooking tips on spices, chopping and blending foods. Check out her website

The City Council had two particularly great meetings in October, one with the Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees and President, and another with the Shoreline School District Board and Superintendent. These two educational institutions are key partners in making Shoreline a great place to live, learn, work and play - and will be even more so as Shoreline continues to grow. It was great to sit down together and talk about how we can partner and support each other’s goals for the citizens.

See you around town!


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Enrollment Opens for Washington GET Program


Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program’s enrollment period opened November 1 and provides the opportunity for families with young children to start an account and begin saving for college with the state’s 529 prepaid tuition plan.

The enrollment period runs through May 31, 2015.

The program opened in 1998, and since then, over 157,000 GET accounts have been established to help families escape the weight of rising student debt. The GET fund is now valued at nearly $3 billion.

GET beneficiaries have the freedom to follow their ambitions wherever they choose, as the program can be used at nearly any public or private university, community college, or technical school in the country.

“The key to a successful college savings strategy is to start when your kids are young and save what you can, when you can,” says Betty Lochner, director of the GET program.

The financial health of the program is solid and has continued to improve over the past few years. This year the program has already surpassed its 2021 projected funded status seven years earlier than expected.

GET's new website offers details, charts, planning tools and answers for questions that families may have about the program. Accounts can be opened online, and the GET Contact Center staff is ready to help at 800-955-2318 or by email.



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4-Corners Holiday Food, Fund, and Gift Drive

By Lisa Surowiec

You've (hopefully) heard of the 4-Corners Brew Fest. This summer event has thrown a great party for the past 4 summers, and been able to support some great charities. The 2014 Brew Fest generated enough to be able to donate $1350 to Shoreline Music4Life! Because that's working so well, we're branching out... 

Richmond Beach Community Association has hosted a holiday food/ fund/ gift drive at the Turkey Day Fun Run for years. This year, 4-Corners.org (made up of the neighborhoods of Hillwood, Innis Arden, Richmond Highlands, and Richmond Beach) will host the annual drive to support Hopelink during the month of November. By collaborating with our neighboring communities, we hope to lavish Hopelink with much needed items. This holiday program stocks Hopelink’s Shoreline food bank with extra food so families with few resources can create holiday traditions.

Donation Sites. Donations may be dropped off at Fred Meyer; they collect food for Hopelink year round. Collection bins can also be found at Beach House Greetings (626 NW Richmond Beach Road) and Richmond Beach Coffee Company (1442 NW Richmond Beach Road). 

In addition, your neighborhood representatives will be outside Richmond Beach QFC on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 1:00 to 7:00pm to collect donations and disseminate neighborhood information. 

Donations will also be accepted at the Turkey Day Fun Run on Thanksgiving morning.

What is Needed: Help our neighbors in need by donating either canned food items, new gifts for teens or a cash donation (make checks payable to “Hopelink” and mail to Hopelink Shoreline Center, 15809 Westminster Way North, Shoreline, WA 98133, donate online, or hand deliver to volunteers at QFC on November 8.) The most needed food items include boxed pasta, canned tuna, peanut butter and rice (jasmine, basmati, brown, risotto, etc.). Please do not include items that have expired, perishables or those in glass containers.

Teen Gifts: In December, Hopelink collects new, unwrapped gifts for teens in partnership with Shoreline Christmas. Gift cards are a popular option. The top ten requested gift cards by teens are:
  1. Amazon
  2. Visa/Mastercard
  3. Target
  4. Starbucks
  5. Gas Station
  6. ITunes
  7. Fred Meyer
  8. Game Stop
  9. TJ Maxx
  10. Best Buy

About Hopelink: For more than 43 years, Hopelink has provided critical social services to at-risk families and individuals throughout Washington State’s north and east King County region. Their approach–promoting self-sufficiency to create lasting personal and community change–has helped move tens of thousands of people from vulnerability and crisis to independence and stability.

Remember these four things and give generously:

4-Corners.org - Hillwood, Innis Arden, Richmond Beach and Richmond Highlands
4 weeks - month of November
4 ways to give - food, check/cash, online donation or teen gifts
4 Collection Sites - Fred Meyer, Beach House Greetings, Richmond Beach Coffee Company or events (November 8 at QFC or November 27 at Turkey Day Fun Run)


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For the Birds: The Birds and the Trees

Barred Owl
Photo by John Riegsecker

By Christine Southwick

As early as December, Barred Owls and Anna’s Hummingbirds start making their nests. Owls use large holes in trees, first created by a Pileated or Hairy Woodpecker; Anna’s may find a small forked branch under a weather-protecting cedar or fir branch.

Brown Creepers spiral up, and Red-breasted Nuthatches climb downward on pines searching out little hidden bugs and spiders, while Red-breasted Sapsuckers tap shallow holes in nearby large Douglas Firs to access sap.

Deciduous trees supply perches for both resident and migrating birds. These trees offer bugs, fruits, nesting sites and shelter from summer rains and strong sunlight for migrating warblers, Western Tanagers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Cedar Waxwings to name a few.

Brown Creeper (5 inch bird)
Photo by Doug Parrott

Coniferous trees offer food, nesting opportunities, and year-round protection from the elements. Evergreens, even more than deciduous trees, provide protection from predators. Western Screech Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls are particularly fond of local cedars.

Conifers attract a different set of birds— fewer migrating birds and more resident birds such as Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, Merlins, and our local woodpeckers— Downy, Hairy, Pileated, and Northern Flickers.

There are birds found in forests and yards with mixed types: Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Sapsuckers, American Robins, and flycatchers for example. Alders and black cottonwoods are great trees for cavity nesters.

Female Pileated Woodpecker creating nest
Photo by Doug Parrott

Some birds use barren tree-tops on tall trees— Olive-sided Flycatchers, Merlins, Bald Eagles  use these trees as hunting perches to locate and capture flying prey— bugs, or other birds. Band-tailed Pigeons need tall trees for easy take-offs and landings.

Did you know that 71% of Shoreline’s canopy is located on private property (per 2011 Shoreline canopy assessment)? Trees enhance people’s yards and give character to local neighborhoods.

Female Merlin on top leader of tall tree
Photo by Barbara Deihl

Have you noticed that most of Shoreline’s streets have less than five feet of planting space between sidewalk and streets? That means that the evergreens that so many of us take for granted have to be grown on private property, not on city street right-of-ways (ROW).  Even the smaller Shore Pine grows to ten feet wide, and would obscure line-of-sight needed by drivers.

It really is up to each homeowner to keep our city green and healthy for ourselves, the birds and the other wildlife that depend on trees for roosting, eating, nesting, and shelter.

Be green, plant a tree, keep the tall ones, and help many species of birds.


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Ballot drop van in Shoreline Monday and Tuesday

Ballot drop van at Aurora Square

A ballot drop van will accept ballots Monday and Tuesday at the Shoreline- Aurora Square Shopping Center, 15505 Westminster Way North, near Central Market, Sears and U.S. Bank, in Shoreline.

It is open from 10am to 5pm Monday, and Tuesday from 10am to 8pm.

24 hour drop box by City Hall
Lake Forest Park Town Center
northwest corner

Voters also can use 24-hour drop boxes at the Lake Forest Park City Hall and nine other sites around King County.

The Shoreline van is one of 12 accepting ballots around the county Monday and Tuesday.


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Happy Halloween

Friday, October 31, 2014

Halloween Web
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

I love orb weaver spiders and appreciate their beautiful webs. I've tried to get photos a few times and they certainly didn't turn out looking anything like this beautiful photo by Wayne Pridemore.

--DKH




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'Anything Goes' in Shorewood's fall musical



All aboard for romance, gangsters, misbehaving, stolen identities, and celebrity on the S.S. American in Shorewood High School’s musical production of “Anything Goes.” 

Featuring Cole Porter's most famous songs, including “I get a Kick Out of You,” “Anything Goes” and “Let's Misbehave,” the play follows Billy Crocker, a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. 
Meanwhile, Reno Sweeney, the famous nightclub singer and former evangelist, and Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin try to help Billy. As the sailors and passengers try to entertain themselves and seek out the latest celebrity, a series of mistaken identities combine with Porter's songs and dances to create an exciting and foot-stomping show.

The Shorewood production of “Anything Goes” will be performed Nov 13 to 15 and 20 to 22 at 7:30pm, Nov 16 and 23 at 2pm at the new performing arts center at Shorewood High School, N 175th and Linden Ave N. Tickets are $9 for students and seniors and $12 for adults in advance from Brown Paper Tickets and at the school, and $14 at the door. 


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Christmas garage sale this weekend

Hair Brokers Salon is known for its lavish displays
Now everything must go
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Christmas garage sale from Hair Brokers Salon at the Innis Arden Clubhouse this weekend, Nov 1 and 2, 9am to 6pm

30 year of decorating treasures remain to be sold.

1430 NW 188th, Shoreline WA 98177.


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Shorecrest, Shorewood in cross country meet Saturday at South Whidbey

The Shorecrest and Shorewood cross country teams will compete Saturday in the Northwest District championships at South Whidbey High School.

The meet, including girls' and boys' races in 2A, 3A and 4A classifications, begins at 11am.

Shorecrest competes in the 2A race against four teams from the Cascade Conference and eight teams from the Northwest Conference.

Shorewood competes in the 3A race against the other 11 Western Conference 3A schools plus Ferndale of the Northwest Conference.

The 4A race includes the eight Wesco 4A teams


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Ridgecrest Elementary named School of Distinction for second year

Corrected: school address in photo caption 1-1-14 9:33pm
16516 10th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Ridgecrest Elementary in Shoreline has received the School of Distinction Award for a second consecutive year in recognition of outstanding improvement in student achievement over the past five years in reading and math.

“We are thrilled to receive this honor again,” said Dr. Sue McPeak, Ridgecrest principal. “It validates the collaborative teamwork of our staff, parents and students over the past five years.”

For example, 89 percent of Ridgecrest fourth graders met standard in reading in 2013-14, as compared to 74 percent in 2009-10, and 77 percent of third graders met standard in math, compared to 60 percent five years ago.


The 2013 School of Distinction award winners include 99 schools statewide. The awards are presented by The Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE), the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), and Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA).

Describing the schools that are designated as School of Distinction award winners, Greg Lobdell, President of CEE noted, “These schools demonstrate that significant improvement is occurring all across our diverse public schools.”

In the Puget Sound Educational Service District (ESD) region, which serves King and Pierce counties and Bainbridge Island, 50 schools in 18 school districts are award winners. The agency plans to hold an award ceremony Nov. 5 for the winning schools.


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Shoreline City Manager's report

Update for Week of 10/27/14
from Debbie Tarry, Shoreline City Manager

Council Meeting Follow-Up

October 27 Council Meeting
Dinner Meeting
·         Joint Meeting with the Shoreline School District Board of Directors:  The City Council and School Board members had a productive conversation on the importance of partnership between the two organizations as both are key in continuing to make Shoreline a great community.

Regular Meeting
·         Interlocal Agreement with the City of Bellevue for Pooled Funding for Human Services: The Interlocal Agreement updates the pooled funding arrangement between a number of cities and provides for the administrative fee for Bellevue to continue administering the pool.
·         Ronald Wastewater District Assumption Committee of Elected Officials Update: This was an opportunity to update the full Council on the work of the Ronald Wastewater District Transition Committee of Elected Officials.
·         2015 Budget: Discussion focused on Public Works and the Capital Improvement Program.
·         Executive Session – Property Acquisition

November 3 Council Meeting
Dinner Meeting (5:45 p.m.)
·         All of the 32nd District Delegation will be in attendance. This will be an opportunity to hear from the legislators about the State budget, the anticipated issues to be addressed during the legislative session, and to discuss the City’s legislative priorities.
Transportation Benefit District (7:00 p.m.)
·         The agenda includes approval of expenses and approval of the 2015 TBD budget.
Regular Meeting (7:15 p.m.)
·         Proclamation of America Recycles Day: Students and teachers from Syre Elementary School and Parkwood Elementary School will be accepting the Proclamation. In 2013, the Syre Green Team motivated students and teachers to complete the Level 1 Waste Reduction and Recycling goals of the King County Green Schools Program, and actively maintained their Level 1 work in 2014. This year, Parkwood Elementary School completed Level 1 and received the Level 1 award and banner as a King County Green School. After the Proclamation presentation, Recology CleanScapes (RCS) will award $5,000 to each school for excelling in the RCS Waste Reduction and Recycling Program.
·         Adoption of 2015 Legislative Priorities: Council had a preliminary discussion about the City’s 2015 Legislative Priorities at their October 13th Dinner Meeting. Based on the feedback during the Dinner Meeting, staff will present the recommended legislative priorities for adoption.
·         Adoption of Resolution No. 365, Public Defense Standards: Adoption of Resolution No. 365 will adopt the Washington State Bar Association’s Standards for Indigent Defense Services. The standards include a number of provisions focused on ensuring high-quality public defense, including:
·         Annual caseload limits
·         Use of investigative services
·         Adequate support services and personnel to ensure effective performance
·         Maintaining a case-reporting and management information system
·         Continuing legal education and training requirements for attorneys
·         2015 Budget Public Hearing: This will be the first Public Hearing on the proposed budget. Staff will also provide a presentation on interfund transfers and the debt service funds.
·         Discussion of Sound Cities Association (SCA) 2015 Budget and the City’s Membership: Staff was requested by Council to review the City's membership in the Sound Cities Association (SCA) and their proposed increase in dues for 2015. The SCA Board recently voted to propose a membership increase to the 2009 rate of $0.5989 per capita. That equates to an increase of $2,290.15 over Shoreline's 2014 dues of $30,044. For 2015, the proposed SCA dues would be $32,335. SCA represents 36 cities within King County, which equals nearly 1 million people. Along with acting as an advocate for cities at the regional level, SCA appoints members to regional committees at King County, the Puget Sound Regional Council, and other regional committees.

Ronald Wastewater District Assumption
The City and Ronald Wastewater District received responses to their appeals to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board.

O’Neill Case
The O’Neills’ filed their answer to the Supreme Court Petition for Review filed by the City. The City may only file a reply to the Answer if the O’Neills are seeking review of an issue not raised in the City’s review request. Interim City Attorney Julie Ainsworth-Taylor did not see that they raised any new issue, they are just countering the City’s arguments that the award of attorney fees was appropriate. We have yet to hear from the court on their review of the most recent request for fees (we have argued that they should be reduced).

Highlights include:
·         Sales Tax: Total sales tax receipts for the month of September 2014 are higher than the projections by $43,177, or 6.3%, and the year-ago level by $27,730 or 4.0%. Year-to-date receipts are higher than projections by $213,667, or 4.5%, and the year-ago level by $92,212, or 1.9%. Removing one-time construction activity from the calculation reveals that 2014 receipts are higher than projections by 2.1% and the year-ago level by 8.5%.
·         Real Estate Excise Tax (REET): Total REET collections (collected from the sale of real estate) through September 2014 totaling $1,364,151 are ahead of projections by $9,351, or 0.7%. Total collections for 2014 are ahead of 2013 collections for the same period by 12.1% or $147,523. September and June collections were the only months in 2014 to be lower than 2013 monthly collections. Historically, this seems to be the trend as both 2013 and 2012 saw a large drop in transactions between August and September. The September 2014 transaction amount is six less than September 2013; however, it is 29 more transactions than September 2012.
·         Development Revenue: Permit revenue in September 2014 totaled $148,348. Total revenue to date is $1,018,638, which is 56.4% ahead of projections and 16.2% ahead of year-ago levels. Issued building permits came in at $6.1 million valuation for September, comprised 48% of residential and 52% of commercial/multi-family valuation. A permit for the Evergreen School Cedar Building was issued with $2.8 million valuation.

Meetings & Contacts
·         Mayor/Representative Farrell: On Monday, October 20, Mayor Winstead, Intergovernmental Relations Manager Scott MacColl, and State Representative Farrell (46th District) met to discuss the City's 145th Street Project and approaches for a bike/pedestrian facility across I-5 to connect to the future Light Rail Station. The Mayor shared the City's work on Light Rail station area planning, Route Development Plan for 145th, and the need for the pedestrian facility. She reviewed the tour and presentation we provided elected leaders and staff in late August, and that Council is supportive with the project moving forward. Rep. Farrell discussed her goal to have WSDOT develop an I-5 plan that includes planning for light rail as part of the budget, which could be beneficial to Shoreline. She is very supportive of the project and understands the need to provide safe passage for bicycles and pedestrians to the future station. She is interested in continuing the dialogue with us as we move forward, and encouraged the City to continue to work with our 32nd District delegation to move the project forward.

·         Tour of Fircrest Facilities: Last week I joined a few members from the Ridgecrest Neighborhood, along with representatives from Fircrest and former Councilmember Janet Way on a tour of the gym and pool at Fircrest. Some neighborhood representatives are encouraging groups to come together to reopen the Fircrest pool. A cost estimate of repairs and operating costs of the pool was provided.  This estimate would need additional analysis prior to any consideration for reopening and operating the pool.

Calendar Items
·         October 28, King County Youth Action Plan, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The City and County Councilmember Rod Dembowski jointly sponsored this event to gather input from Shoreline and North King County youth, parents, and others that work with youth on development of the County's Youth Action Plan. We had a great turnout.

This and That
·         Staff participated in our annual Emergency Operations Center Exercise on Wednesday, October 29. Sadly the scenario was a school shooting incident.



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