Learn how to make a beautiful holiday wreath Wednesday at Richmond Beach Library

Friday, November 25, 2016

ClipArtKid
Holiday Wreaths workshop on Wednesday, November 30, 7pm at the Richmond Beach Library, 19601 21st Ave NW, Shoreline 98177.

Learn how to make a beautiful holiday wreath with easy to make bows and unusual items.

This demonstration will show you how you can start with a simple Evergreen wreath and embellish it with everyday items to create a unique arrangement without breaking the bank!

Come see how it’s done, or bring your own wreath or swag to get started right away. Ribbon for bows will be provided.




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Small business Saturday



There's a lot of conversation today about online shopping and big stores jammed with customers for Black Friday specials.

But don't forget our small, local businesses. There are one of a kind businesses like the Beach House Greeting and Garden Essentia and there are bigger businesses that are still locally owned, such as Bartells, Thriftway, Central Market, Brown Bear.

Saturday is Small Business Saturday - a day when you are encouraged to seek out the one of a kind businesses in your own neighborhood or city.

If you need some suggestions, we have profiled a few in our Small Business section, which can be found on the front page under Features. It includes both services and retail.



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Flood damage is not covered by Homeowner's Insurance

Sheridan Beach before the flood control projects in LFP
2010

With the heavy rains of the past week, it seems like a good time for a refresher about floods and insurance. This information is from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
  • Homeowner policies typically do not cover flood damage. Flood damage is not on standard homeowner policies and most commercial policies, although many people assume it is. That can be a costly assumption. Your mortgage lender may require you to have flood insurance if your home is located in a flood-prone area, also known as a "special flood hazard area." You can estimate your property's flood risk online.
  • Most people buy flood insurance through the government’s National Flood Insurance Program, which is run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These policies are sold through local insurance agents and brokers, which you can locate online. As with most policies, there are limits to what is covered.
  • If your vehicle is damaged in a flood, your auto policy’s comprehensive coverage typically will cover it. However, you should verify you have that type of coverage with your insurance agent or broker. Read more about auto insurance.
Read more about flood insurance and damage caused by winter weather on OIC’s website.

It should be noted that most of the major flood areas in both Shoreline and Lake Forest Park have been resolved by Public Works projects.

Individual problems are created when it rains so much that the water table rises and water can seep into basements. Steep slopes can become waterlogged and slide. Being downhill from water runoff can also create problems. Low lying areas, streams, and water basins can collect more water than the outflow pipes can handle, flooding nearby homes.



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Richmond Beach Running Club will "burn off the bird" Saturday

From the Richmond Beach Running Club

Join us tomorrow for our Saturday run in Richmond Beach. Bring your family and friends still lingering from Thanksgiving.

Not sure what route we'll take because I want to be able to adjust it depending on our guests.

As a motivation to defeat those tryptophan induced comas, there is a Super Jock n Jill gift certificate up for grabs. We'll raffle it off IF we get at least 20 people for the run tomorrow.

As always, all speeds and abilities are welcome. Stretchers meet at the church parking lot at 8:00am and non-stretchers be ready to leave at 8:10am. The church parking lot is around the corner from the Richmond Beach Coffee Company, 1442 NW Richmond Beach Rd, Shoreline 98177.

Hope to see you there.



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Shoreline City Council and Planning Commission joint meeting Monday

The Shoreline City Council and the Shoreline Planning Commission will hold a joint dinner meeting on Monday, November 28 at 5:30pm. 


They will be doing a year-end wrap-up, discussion of major issues, and planning for the new year.

The regular Council meeting will begin at 7pm in the Council Chambers.

Agenda Highlights
  • Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract with Sarah Roberts for Prosecution Services
  • Discussion of Ord. No. 765 – Amending SMC 20.40 for Self-Storage Facilities
  • Discussion of New Agreement with King County for Animal Control Services
Link to full Agenda and staff documents

Comment on Agenda items


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Death notices as of November 25, 2016

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.

Obituaries from The Seattle Times


Margaret Roberts  1924-2016  After a lifetime in Moses Lake, Margaret moved to Seattle in 2002 to be close to family. She attended Northwest Church of Christ in Shoreline for several years. She died in Shoreline at the age of 92.

Donald Edward Jordan  1967-2016  Grew up in Lake Forest Park and graduated from Shorecrest in 1985. He was director of the Seattle Animal Shelter and the family asks that donations go to that organization in his name.

Frederick D. "Rick" Neuman  Age 62  Rick went to Shoreline High School, class of '72. He served in the US Army from '71 - '74. A carpenter by trade, he loved fishing and kept his boat at the Edmonds Marina.

Christina Soong  1960 - 2016  Raised in Taiwan during a time of social unrest, she was educated there in a Christian school. She moved to Montana in 1987 to get a degree in guidance and counseling. She married there. She and her husband lived in Seattle, then Taiwan, then returned to Seattle where she began working for Seattle Schools. They moved to Shoreline in 1995.

Roberta Kelley Mooers  Age 88  After her husband completed dental school, they moved to Shoreline where they bought a house in Innis Arden. She was active in the Innis Arden Club, Women's University Club, Alpha Phi sorority, the Dental Auxiliary, and University Presbyterian Church.

Patricia Ann West  1946 - 2016  Died on her birthday. She worked in the mortgage industry. Graveside services at Holyrood Cemetery and celebration of life in Lake Forest Park.

Donald Henry Nelson  1923-2016  After a career as an aerospace engineer, he and his wife retired to Shoreline in 1988. He served in the Army in WWII. He was an avid fisherman, loved to dance and was a voracious reader. A celebration of life was held in the clubhouse at Forest Hills Condos in Shoreline.

Hettie Lee Kinner  Worked with special needs students in the Shoreline School District.

Dorothy May Sparling 1921 - 2016  Passed away in Lake Forest Park. She was a very active volunteer in the Briarcrest Guild of Children's Hospital. She and her husband loved to travel, golf, and bowl.

Robert J. McConnell  1932 - 2016  Passed away at his home in Shoreline. Services at Westminster Assembly of God Church in Shoreline.

Alice E. Swanson  1917 - 2016  She and her husband raised their family in Shoreline. Services at Shoreline Community Church.

Carolyn Gay Haltom  1942 - 2016  Attended the UW and worked at Slope Indicator Company. Graveside services at Evergreen Washelli.

Christy Gerhart Cufley  1953 2016  A feminist and champion for women's rights, she earned her law degree in 1978 and became an administrative law judge for the State of Washington. She was President of the Lake Forest Park Rotary Club 2008-2009. Donations may be made in Christy's name to her favorite charities: NW Planned Parenthood, NARAL, or LFP Rotary.

Barbara Jean Wade  1931 - 2016  After her husband died at age 50, she entered the work force as an Attendant Counselor at the Fircrest School in Shoreline. She retired in 1991.

Marian K. Waldal  1940 - 2016  Married and settled in Shoreline in 1995. She loved cooking for family and friends and enjoyed dancing. Memorial services held at First Lutheran Church of Richmond Beach.



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Wind and power - outage and clean up in Parkwood

Dept of Ecology staff view the downed tree

Photos by Steven H. Robinson

29 households in Parkwood were still without power at noon Friday from a tree fall in the wind Thanksgiving night. A new, single outage was reported Friday morning in Meridian Park from a different tree.

In Parkwood, one big tree dropped over N 155th, damaging numerous poles and wires.

Crews started the clean up at 8:30am Friday and it might take until mid day Saturday. There was a lot of damage.

N 155th was closed from 1st Ave NE to Meridian Ave N.


Vehicles were rerouted off N 155th onto 1st Ave NE. The Anglican Church is to the right.


That's a utility pole tangled in the wires on N 155th


A utility pole and street light are tangled in the wires and the battered transformer is on the ground on N 155th.



City Light crews are installing a grounding wire in preparation for repair work.


Power company vehicles. Note the electrical wire on the ground in front.




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Santa's on his way to Lake Forest Park

Santa's coming to LFP
Santa’s on his way to Lake Forest Park to launch the holiday season beginning this Friday.

He will take up residence at the Town Center at Lake Forest Park, intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way.

The Jolly Old Elf will be in residence to hear the Christmas wishes of children great and small.

A photographer will be at the ready to take photos with Santa in the traditional Frederick and Nelson set that we all grew up with!

🎄Here's Santa's schedule.



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Book Review by Aarene Storms: Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula
by Andi Watson (graphic novel)

Princess Decomposia of the Undead is overwhelmed with work. Ghost papers to sign, alien reports to read, werewolf dignitaries to entertain ... and her father the King is no help at all.

But when a vampire with a sweet tooth joins the Royal Staff, some changes are on the wing ... and so is a bit of romance.

A cute love story with plenty of unexpected twists. I've never considered Chocolate Monster Cake as a possible defense strategy for zombies ... but maybe I should.

Recommended for ages 10 to adult. No cussing or sex, but lots of fun (un-) dead stuff.


The events may not have happened; still, the story is true.  --R. Silvern

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS



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Photo: Standoff at Hamlin Park

Photo by Seattle Poppy

Look in the direction that the dog is staring.

Yup, it's a bunny in the bushes.

Hamlin Park is full of them - surprising when you consider how many coyote sighting there have been. Those little guys must hop really fast.

Once I was driving up 15th NE and saw three bunnies, peacefully sitting on the grass between the sidewalk and the park, watching the cars go by.

DKH



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Black Friday DUI Emphasis Patrol on King County highways

WSPs full service police station on wheels
Photos courtesy WSP

The Washington State Patrol will be out in force this Friday, November 25, 2016, looking for Impaired Drivers during its Black Friday DUI Emphasis patrol.

WSP is deploying their mobile police station - the Mobile Impaired Driving Unit (MIDU) so suspect drivers can be processed on the scene.

The MIDU is a self-contained 36 foot motorhome that has been retrofitted as a mobile DUI processing center and incident command post.

The MIDU is equipped with three breath testing instruments, two temporary holding cells, three computer work stations, an incident command computer terminal, a dispatcher console with wireless access to WSP dispatch centers and a microwave downlink tower for real time broadcasts from WSP aircraft.

This is a full service police station on wheels.



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Jobs: WSDOT Traffic Safety Engineer

WSDOT has an outstanding opportunity for a professional with a considerable background in traffic analysis with a strong focus on safety.

Full description and application here



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Ask the Bird Lady - how do I keep rats away from my bird feeder

Rat and squirrel eating birdseed
on ground under bird feeder
Photo by Tom D. Bewley


A reader has a rodent question for Christine Southwick - The Bird Lady:

Christine - is it possible to feed birds without attracting rats? I'm happy to feed birds but haven't yet figured out how to not get RATS!!!

Chris replies:

Rats can be a problem. Sometimes bird seed may draw rats. More often rats were already there, but become visible because they stay out under the bird feeder(s).

I live adjacent to a sixteen-acre park. There are wood rats that live in the park, and undoubtedly one or two travel through my yard regularly. I never see one unless it is cold, and then I may see one under a feeder. So, I believe I would have a wood rat or two even without bird feeders.

When I put out extra seed on the ground, I only put a little seed on the ground in the morning when the birds and squirrels will eat it before evening.

If I keep seeing a rat, I mix peanut butter with vitamin D, and put that out along the rat's route. This will not hurt cats or raptors. (Do not use rat poison as it will kill whatever eats those rats.)

Large wharf rats, and Norwegian rats are another problem. You may have to stop feeding birds until the rat problem is eliminated.

Feeders on poles with a squirrel baffle and good quality food can be resumed at that time.

Hope that helps.
Chris the Bird Lady



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Power outage in Ridgecrest

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Power outage 11-24-2016 11:45pm
Ridgecrest

Around 1pm I checked the power outage map - it is that time of year, you know - and there was a very big area without power - 5,000 households - running along I-5 from the Ship Canal to Greenlake. All those half-roasted turkeys!

Things are banging around a bit outside in Shoreline so I just checked again. The previous outage has been fixed, but now 250 households in Ridgecrest are without power. The cause is a tree or tree branches that took out a power line.

Power is not due to be restored until 9:30am Friday morning. Hopefully dinner was done before the power went out, but it's going to be a cold night for a lot of our neighbors.

DKH



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Construction project may impact southbound traffic on Bothell Way NE (SR 522)

The City of Lake Forest Park warns that the southbound Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane on Bothell Way NE (SR 522) will be closed Monday and Tuesday, November 28 and 29, 2016, due to a driveway and sidewalk private construction project. 

The affected portion of the BAT lane is between NE 145th Street and NE 147th Street, between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm.




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Happy Thanksgiving



Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Try to spend the day thinking of all the things that make you thankful - and don't discuss politics with your family!

I'm thankful for all the lovely people who take the photos that appear in this publication, who send in events, stories, poems, and press releases and write stories.

I'm thankful for people who point out errors and ask questions.

I'm thankful for people who subscribe, who Friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or download us on their webpages. I'm thankful for people who share our stories and say where they came from, who tell their friends, neighbors, and coworkers about us.

I'm thankful for everyone who reads the stories - or looks at the headlines!

Have a wonderful day.

Diane Hettrick
Editor



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Cartoon: Pilgrims discovering Plymouth


Previous cartoons by Whitney Potter can be found under Features 
in the first column of the front page of the Shoreline Area News



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Shoreline provides Christmas shoeboxes for children around the world

A donor brings in a load of shoeboxes
Five volunteers are ready to receive them
Photo courtesy City Calvary Church

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, transforms empty shoeboxes into gifts of hope filled with school supplies, hygiene items, notes of encouragement, and fun toys, such as a doll or soccer ball.

Groups all around the country participate, providing 9 million shoeboxes to OCC, which delivers the gifts to children overseas living in extreme poverty or affected by war, disease and natural disaster.

Locally, City Calvary Chapel issued the call. During November 14-21, boxes poured in.

Shoreline area schools, churches and individuals donated over 1250 Samaritan's Purse Shoeboxes filled with gifts, school supplies, health needs, and books.
  • Shoreline Community Church brought 276
  • Network Christian Ministries 127
  • Shoreline Christian School 101

More came from Creekside Church, Shorewood High School's Salt and Light Club, Homeschooling His Way, Illuminati School, Seattle Christian Homeschool and of course, the host, City Calvary Chapel.

Church shoebox coordinator Nancy Washburn said, 
We will do it again next year and encourage more organizations and individuals to contribute to this wonderful project that helps teach children that Christmas is worldwide and is for Giving as well as Getting!

City Calvary Chapel is located at 152211 15th Ave NE, Shoreline 98155, 206-316-8991.



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Pacifying the Dragon brings dance troupe and artists to Hamlin Park Dec 3

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Nightingale Dance Troupe in rehearsal
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline
Inspired by Hakka Chinese traditions from New Territories, Hong Kong, the Shoreline Public Art Program will host a community arts event from noon - 2:00pm on Saturday, December 3 at Hamlin Park, featuring a performance by Nightingale Dance Troupe.
Artist Jacob Foran working on a ceramic jar
which will be buried in Hamlin Park
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline

To ensure good harvests in the future, and to cleanse the land after recent events, the Dragon must be ‘pacified.’

In addition to the dance performance offering an interpretation, a commissioned ceramic jar by Jacob Foran will be buried, along with joss paper burning.

The project will take place in the northwest corner of Hamlin Park, off of NE 166 St and 15th Ave NE in Shoreline 98155.

Financial support was provided through a grant from 4culture. 





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Holiday Pet Food Drive to benefit the Seattle Area Feline Rescue


During this season of giving, Cats Exclusive veterinary clinic asks that you include on your list those pets in need.

The Seattle Area Feline Rescue is a local non-profit shelter, located in Shoreline, helping homeless cats and kittens find new homes.

Bring in cat food of any kind and help fill the collection barrel located in their lobby at 19203 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline 98133.

For each pound donated now through December 24th Cats Exclusive Veterinary Center will match your donation, pound per pound.



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Home for Thanksgiving - formerly homeless family is settled in Shoreline apartment

Sharnai Lugo and Casey Deardoff with baby Cameron
have a home in time for Thanksgiving
When Sharnai Lugo and Casey Deardoff found themselves homeless and expecting their first child, they knew they needed to find a place where they could stay together as a family.

After arriving at Mary’s Place, a Seattle shelter helping families to reclaim their lives, Sharnai and Casey gave birth to their son, Cameron.

After a short stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, they were able to bring their new baby boy back to Mary’s Place.

The family worked diligently to overcome their barriers to housing, paying off previous debt and increasing their income.

Cameron, now 8 months old, is a happy and active baby, and the family recently moved into their new home in Shoreline.

Delta Dental staff are all smiles as they bring bedding, pantry food,
 Thanksgiving dinner, and clothes, toys, and a stroller for the baby

On Tuesday, Delta Dental of Washington helped the family move into an apartment at Vision House and prepare for the holidays – and surprised them with items to make their new Shoreline apartment a true home for the holidays.

Delta brought toys for Cameron - and Dad!
Delta Dental staff brought a new stroller, booster seat, toys, pillows and blankets, a Thanksgiving meal - and a dental kit - right to their doorstep.

The couple were very surprised and expressed their deep gratitude for the delivery, as well as the support Mary’s Place provided to help them reach this point.

Sharnai and Casey originally found Mary’s Place just two weeks before Sharnai delivered their son, Cameron.
Cameron and Sharnai

Sharnai said that if they had not had support from Mary’s Place and the opportunity to store their things during the day (particularly Cameron’s items), they may not have felt able to care for Cameron – and they might not be together as a family today.

Now they will receive support services from Vision House as they continue their path toward self-sufficiency as a family and raise a healthy, happy baby.


--Photos courtesy Delta Dental



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For the Birds: Thanksgiving Day Bird — the Wild Turkey

Courting male
Photo by Gene Beall

By Christine Southwick

The turkeys that we traditionally eat on Thanksgiving Day are not the same birds as the wild ones. Domestication of the turkey, a North American native species, has been documented back 2,000 years. Turkeys raised by the Aztecs were taken back to Europe by Spanish explorers. Due to breeding for increased breast meat, domesticated turkeys can no longer fly.

Wild turkey in tree
Photo by Terry Olmsted
Wild Turkeys can and do fly. They fly up into their tree roosts at sundown, starting on the lower limbs and flapping their way upward to higher roosts. When startled, females usually fly away, while males commonly run.

Being over-hunted for their great meat, Wild Turkey numbers plummeted in the US in the early 20th century.

To save many sub-species, the US Fish and Wildlife Service started catching and transplanting Wild Turkeys throughout 49 states.

Washington started getting three sub-species of Wild Turkeys in 1960. These sub-species have adapted to slightly different habitats, but all Wild Turkeys require open forests with nut-bearing trees and open grassy fields with grains and berries, and associated insects.

Wild turkey running
Photo by Lyn Topinka
In the spring, courting males abandon their all-male flocks, strut about, gobble, hum, and make chump sounds to attract several females and warn away competing males.

Males leave nest-making and the raising of the ten to fifteen young to the female. Nests are one inch depressions scratched in the soil, lined with leaves and other local plant materials, and positioned at the base of trees, or under brush piles.

The young leave the nest soon after hatching, but follow their mother for brooding and help with feeding. Young Wild Turkeys, with a few adult females, form large winter flocks of up to 200 turkeys.

Wild turkey in May
Photo by Lyn Topinka
It is a myth that turkeys are so dumb that they will drown in rainstorms.

First, Wild Turkeys are still pretty wily in order to avoid predators like coyotes and bobcats; and two, did you know that Wild Turkeys can swim, if they need to escape?

Another myth is that Benjamin Franklin wanted the Wild Turkey as our National Emblem.

In fact, a seal of office, made in France, was sent to Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately that eagle looked more like a turkey than a Bald Eagle.

Benjamin Franklin came to the turkey’s defense by saying, “For in Truth the Turk’y is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America…”
~~~~~
Update: Turkeys have been domesticated for 2,000 years.

Wild Turkeys have only been domesticated for 2,000 years, with fossils of non-domesticated Wild Turkeys being found that date back more than five million years.

Here are two of my resources:

According to Cornell's All About Birds
"Turkey fossils have been unearthed across the southern United States and Mexico, some of them dating from more than 5 million years ago."
The earliest signs of domestication found to date appear in Maya sites such as Cobá beginning about 100 BC-100 AD. [Reference]

Christine Southwick
11-26-2016


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Black Friday Open House - adoption fees waived for the weekend at Seattle Area Feline Rescue

Not just black cats are available

Adoption fees are waived for the weekend starting Black Friday at the Seattle Area Feline Rescue, 14717 Aurora Ave. N, Shoreline 98133, 206-659-6220.

Enjoy coffee and cookies, admire the adorable felines, visit the "Meowliday" giving tree, help fill the kitties' stockings ... and all adoptions are sponsored by Best Friends and Zappos.

Adoption fees waived Friday, November 25th through Monday, November 28th.



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American Legion has full house for pancake breakfast

Picking the raffle winner

Text and photos by Jerry Pickard

On Sunday morning, November 20, Post 227 American Legion held a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.

The response was good and fifty five persons had been served by nine-thirty with the event lasting till eleven am.

Some of the volunteers took time off
for a photo op.

The gatekeeper was kept busy through the morning. A seven dollar fee was collected for a breakfast consisting of two large pancakes, two link sausages, and a healthy helping of scrambled eggs.

Not only that, there was a raffle for a door prize.



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County Council to consider ordinance to prevent county use of private prisons

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove introduced legislation Monday that would prohibit the County from entering in any contracts with private prison companies to house adult or juvenile detainees. Private facilities have dubious records when it comes to safety. A 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Justice found that contract prisons had a higher rate of safety and security incidents, including a higher rate of assaults on both staff and inmates.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice committed to limit the practice of contracting with non-governmental organizations, though it is unclear whether President-Elect Trump will honor that commitment. He has previously expressed support for the use of private detention centers.

“With the uncertainty at the national level, this is an opportunity to ensure that private prisons are never used by King County,” said Councilmember Upthegrove. “Private facilities have consistently demonstrated that the push for profit creates unsafe conditions that put both staff and inmates at risk.” 

King County does not currently contract with non-governmental detention facilities, but there is nothing in existing policy that would prevent it in the future. This ordinance ensures that the current practice of incarcerating inmates at county facilities continues. Other jurisdictions, including the State of Washington and the federal government, contract with private prison companies as a way to alleviate overcrowding.

In 2000, the County Council recognized that increases in criminal justice expenditures were outpacing the county’s ability to pay for these increases. Over the last several years, leaders in the King County criminal justice system have engaged in an intensive effort to reduce the use of secure detention through offering alternatives to incarceration where appropriate and programs that lower the likelihood an inmate will re-offend. As a result of these actions, King County is able to meet the current and projected detention needs.



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Jobs: Maintenance Mechanic 4 - Plumber

WSDOT is seeking an experienced Plumber to join our Facilities Maintenance Team in Shoreline.

This individual will be responsible for performing skilled journey-level work on a variety of building systems, including water, plumbing, sewer and natural gas.

Full job description and application information here.



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Shoreline Fire calls week ending Nov 20

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shoreline Fire calls for the week of November 13-20...

Aid - 89
Aid Non Emergency- 6
CMT (Community Medicine Team) - 9
Medic - 29
MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident) Medic - 2
Cardiac Arrest- 2
AFA (Automatic Fire Alarm) - 16
Haz - 1
Natural Gas Commercial - 1
Natural Gas in Area - 1
Smoke/Burn Complaint - 1
Confirmed Fire Residential - 1

Kitchen fires are where fires start.
Stay attentive while cooking your Thanksgiving meals!



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Second Reader's question about Shoreline's Prop. 1 and answer

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

A second reader has a question about the recently passed Proposition 1 in Shoreline. (see first article)

Question

Over the last 4 years, property taxes went up by about 25% (in my case from $3600 to over $4500) because of property value increase. This is the result of a high demand for housing in King county that pull the home prices up.

Shouldn't the additional income raised through higher property taxes be enough?

  • In 2012, 12% of my $3600 in property taxes went to the city of Shoreline: $432
  • In 2016, 12% of my $4500 in property taxes went to the city of Shoreline: $540
So in 4 years, the city of Shoreline got a lot more than they used to and on top of that is asking for an additional $64.

Not that $64 is a huge number, but Shoreline already has some of the highest property taxes in King county. It is a bit hard to swallow.

Answer from Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director, City of Shoreline

I understand that your situation makes it seem like the City has been having large property tax increases each year. However, the City is limited in how much they can increase their property tax levy each year. And while in 2010 Shoreline voters approved a Levy Lid Lift which allowed the City to increase their property tax levy by the year to year change in CPI (inflation) instead of the state mandated limit of 1, CPI changes have averaged less than 2% over the past 6 years.

Following is a simplified explanation of how the changes in property tax assessment and valuations work and the impact to individual properties.

In Washington State a City’s property tax levy is generally limited to grow 1% per year plus the value of new construction regardless of the increase in assessed valuation (AV) for the City as a whole. The tables below walk through an example for a City with three houses each valued at $200,000, for a total AV of $600,000. The City set a levy rate of $1.00 per $1,000 AV in the first year. Each house would pay $200 in property tax to the City, resulting in a levy totaling $600.


Home 1
Home 2
Home 3
Total City
Year 1 Assessed Value (AV):
$200,000
$200,000
$200,000
$600,000
Times the Levy Rate (LR):
$1.00
$1.00
$1.00
$1.00
Year 1 Tax Levy (AV*LR/1,000):
$200
$200
$200
$600

Let’s assume that there was no new construction and that the AV for the three houses as a whole increased 15%, resulting in a total assessed valuation of $690,000. In order to limit the growth of the levy to 1%, meaning the City can only levy $606 in year two, the levy rate is lowered to $0.87826 per $1,000 AV.


Home 1
Home 2
Home 3
Total City
Year 2 AV Increase:
10%
20%
15%
15%
For Year 2 the City can increase the total levy by 1% from $600 to $606.
Year 2 AV:
$220,000
$240,000
$230,000
$690,000
Times the LR:
$0.87826
$0.87826
$0.87826

Year 2 Tax Levy (AV*LR/1,000):
$193.22
$210.78
$202.00
$606.00
Change in Tax Paid:
($6.78)
$10.78
$2.00
$6.00

As you can see in the second table above, the 1% limit applies to the total levy but not to property tax increases for individual homes. In the second year, houses that experienced a growth in AV less than the citywide total will pay less in property tax, a house that experienced a growth in AV more than the citywide total will pay more, and a house that experienced a growth in AV equal to the citywide total will experience a 1% growth.

Overall the City is able to increase its levy by $6.00 and the change in the levy rate applied to all properties located in the City ensures that the amount the City collects is limited.

As noted earlier, in 2010 Shoreline voters approved a levy lid lift, which allowed the City to raise taxes by the year to year change in CPI instead of the 1% - but the impact to individual properties is the same.

Based upon the numbers you provided, it appears that your property value has been increasing faster than the average for the City.



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Jobs: Program Manager Women and Gender Equity Center

Shoreline Community College has an opening for a Program Manager at the Women and Gender Equity Center.

This position has responsibility for developing and managing programs and services that reflect sensitivity to gender-related issues and which emphasize inclusiveness and responsiveness for students whose backgrounds have been underrepresented in higher education.

The Program Manager will provide information and activities that support the development of the campus community's multicultural understanding and competence related to women and LGBTQI+ (i.e., gender identity, gender expression, Title IX, LGBTQI+ rights, leadership development, empowerment, etc.).

Complete job description and application information here



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WeatherWatcher: Thanksgiving Forecast, Rain, la Niña


Thanksgiving Forecast: Wednesday expect to see some showers throughout the day. Wednesday night will probably have a pause as the next storm front starts the approach. We are going to follow tradition this year, with a wind storm for Thanksgiving morning, then a second wind storm Thanksgiving evening. Both systems are expected to bring some moderate winds up to possibly 40mph. These storms are not strong enough to prompt any watches or warnings from the National Weather Service at this time. It'll be windy, but not severe or damaging for the most part. A small scattered power outage or two is possible.

Rain is expected most of the time from Thursday morning all the way through Monday. Active weather is expected through early December. Our temperatures are cooling down, finally, after having a much warmer than normal start to November. We are looking at temperatures to average in the upper 40's for a high and mid-low 40's for a low through Tuesday next week.

October and November Rain:
Not only have we been warmer than normal the past two months but we have also been much wetter than normal. October shattered records everywhere across the northwest for total rainfall. Here in Shoreline we came in at 8.27 inches of rain for October. The normal is 4.62 inches, nearly twice as much as normal in just my station's seven years of history.

November we are much closer to normal on the rainfall end. Below are two graphs, one for October, the other is for November. They compare the actual rainfall to the monthly average.
October monthly rainfall compared to average.
November monthly rainfall compared to average.

November's warmth has also been clear as day on my daily average temperature graph:
Daily average temperature compared to 7-year average.

I also wanted to talk a little about the ENSO (El Niño Southern Pacific Oscillation). Currently we are under a la Niña advisory. A weak la Niña has developed and is expected to get a little stronger December through February. This means a wetter and cooler than normal weather pattern for our area.

What about snow? Weather patterns and sea surface temperature patterns over the Pacific this fall have been hinting at doing something that produces a good set up for mid winter snow events. In addition there is a lot of cold arctic air building in Russia and Siberia, the latter being the typical source of arctic outbreaks for our region. All the right things are in the right places to produce a typical number or greater number of snow events for our area. That said, there is still a chance a snow event may not happen; however the chances of a significant snow event are much higher than they have been in years.

For current weather conditions and updates, visit www.shorelineweather.com



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