Rob Oxford: Kevin O'Brien - Run Of A Kind

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Rob Oxford
By Rob Oxford

Have you ever wondered to yourself why a seemingly normal individual would wake up early on a Sunday morning, don a pair of Lyrca spandex, lace up their sneakers and voluntarily run 26.2 miles or for our Canadian readers, 42 kilometers? I mean aren't Sunday mornings for sleeping late or going to church?

I realize that for runners a marathon can be a spiritual experience, but this article isn't about former high school or college track stars or people with 8% body fat. This isn't about a respectable finish time of under 4 hrs.

This is about the over 60 and 70 year olds I see, bound and determined to prove something to themselves. This is about the hundreds of overweight men and woman whom at first glance one might think; they have no business running a marathon. This article is about those people. The ones who may start off running a marathon, but often finish it by walking and regardless of how long it takes... finish! Have you ever finished a marathon? I haven't.

Moreover, this article is about a gentlemen I met recently while working the Hot Chocolate Run in Seattle, a 15K Fun Run to benefit Make-A-Wish. His name is Kevin O'Brien and he's from Fairbanks, Alaska. The company I work for is responsible for implementing traffic plans that allow runners like Kevin to use city streets safely for a few hours a couple of times a year.

Granted, sometimes at an inconvenience to motorists, but if you could have witnessed Kevin during the Hot Chocolate Run, I guarantee you'd be less likely to get annoyed by a minor Sunday morning detour or a traffic backup.

Kevin has Cerebral Palsy.

From the cozy confines of my work truck I could see the runners as they approached. Groups of 3 or 4 in colorful shirt and short combos, some in custom running apparel, all with their official registration numbers proudly pinned to their bodies.

At this point in the race, some were already walking, but not Kevin. Wearing blue jeans and a short sleeve casual shirt, Kevin was still running. Albeit slowly and with a pronounced limp, but definitely running.

As he got closer I shouted "You're a stud dude", it was spur of the moment and all I could come up with, but I meant it. I was captivated. He gave me a thumbs up and as he passed by I said something else like, "you make fat guys like me look bad". To that he smiled.

I wanted to know more about this young man so I waited. I waited for him to run up the hill and then back down. I knew that I had to get his story. So, when Kevin was once again in sight I jogged toward him and introduced myself, quickly gave him my card and asked him to call me. He did so later that evening.

Kevin is a 30 year old electrical apprentice and was in town to take the aptitude test for the IBEW. He hopes to find employment here in Seattle and when I asked him why he wasn't wearing the normal running attire most serious runners wear, he told me he had no idea about the run and just decided to take part.

Because he wasn't officially registered and during the race "drank some of their water", afterward Kevin asked a volunteer if he could make a donation of $20. That's the type of guy Kevin is. The volunteer gladly accepted.

Kevin went on to tell me that when running, at least for a short time, he feels less of the affects of his disease. He added there are "too many distractions in this world" and that running allows him to "get out and enjoy his surroundings".

Kevin is working on a documentary he hopes to release about running the Equinox Marathon last year in Fairbanks. It is said to be the third hardest marathon because of its altitude differential of 1500 ft. Kevin completed the course (26.2 miles) in 13 hours 10 minutes.

During our conversation I asked Kevin if while running, people treat him differently? "Do people cheer you on or say anything while you're running?" He said "Yes" and that it's sometimes "overwhelming" and "difficult to interact", depending on his level of exhaustion at the time.

I also wondered what it was like growing up with Cerebral Palsy. Was he picked on in school? Did he have a lot of friends? Kevin said that when he was little "he had to ride the short bus" and that "most of the kids on there had anger management problems".

They were among his earliest friends and when he got into middle school and beyond, "nobody messed with those kids", therefore "nobody messed with me". Just one of the many benefits of growing up in a small town like Fairbanks I guess.

Although deep inside I already knew the answer, I had to ask Kevin what he wanted people to take from his participating in marathons and his love of running in general. "I want people to know that no matter their physical abilities or inabilities, if I can do this they can too."

I'm pretty sure I made a new friend in Kevin O'Brien. I know that my life is enriched for just having met him.



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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Clowns



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 Police and the Personal Safety Awareness and Response (PSAR) program

Shoreline Police conducted their first
 defense class for citizens
Photo courtesy Shoreline Police
From Shoreline Police

At a national level we are seeing more and more active shooter incidents that concern every citizen. 

While we do not have control of what motivates people to do such horrific acts, we do need to be aware of our safety and surroundings.

We are reaching out to the community through the Personal Safety Awareness and Response (PSAR) - a Shoreline Police program designed to create awareness and give you some tools to get you in the mindset of personal safety, active shooter events and basic personal defense tactics.

Thanks to Sgt. Park, Deputy Bates and Community Officer Corona for the implementation of this program in the city.

Stay tuned for the next session open to Shoreline residents this Spring!



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Lake Forest Park Garden Club Plant Sale on Saturday May 5


Mark your calendar for the spring plant sale of the Lake Forest Park Garden Club. Saturday, May 5, 2018 at LFP Elementary at 37th NE and Ballinger Way.



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ICHS receives $25,000 grant as part of KeyBank’s Community Impact Day

ICHS CEO Teresita Batayola and ICHS Foundation Director Ron Chew accept
a $25,000 community impact award from KeyBank CEO Beth Mooney on April 3.
Photo courtesy ICHS


International Community Health Services (ICHS) received a $25,000 grant from the KeyBank Foundation, as part of its April 3 Community Impact Day that totaled over $1.9 million to almost 20 nonprofits in the greater Seattle area.

ICHS will use the funds to provide uncompensated care for target King County minority populations. In 2017, ICHS provided $1,265,435 in uncompensated care. Among nearly 31,000 patients, 41% were at or below the federal poverty level, 81% were people of color and 55% spoke limited English and needed interpretation services.

“We’re honored KeyBank recognizes ICHS’ work and success improving the health and wellness of our diverse communities with this $25,000 grant,” said Teresita Batayola, ICHS CEO. “KeyBank’s award will support ICHS health services for many of the area’s neediest and most vulnerable, including immigrants, refugees, elderly and the young.”

KeyBank CEO Beth Mooney, who was in town from KeyBank’s Cleveland headquarters to announce the grants with Carol K. Nelson, Pacific Regional Sales Executive and Seattle Market President, said,

“Our mission is to help our communities thrive. 
"Philanthropy is part of KeyBank’s DNA, and we are dedicated to building stronger communities and improving the lives of the people we call neighbors in the places we call home.”

Many of the nonprofit recipients were chosen by local Key Business Impact Networking Groups (KBINGs), employee groups that are a vital part of Key’s diversity and inclusion strategy to help KeyBank attract, engage, develop and retain a diverse workforce and inform Key’s business strategies.

Seattle has eight active KBINGs: Key Executive Women’s Network, Young Professionals, Military Inclusion, African American, Asian/ Pacific Islanders, Hispanic/Latino, Champions of People of All Abilities and LGBTQA. The groups were on hand to help distribute the donations.

In the Seattle region, KeyBank actively invests in the communities it serves through philanthropy, volunteerism and board service.

International Community Health Services (ICHS) provides culturally and linguistically appropriate health services to improve the wellness of King County’s diverse people and communities. ICHS serves as part of the health safety net supporting the area’s neediest and most vulnerable, including immigrants, refugees, elderly and the young.

ICHS’ commitment to health equity includes supporting safer neighborhoods, nutritious foods, green spaces, jobs, housing and economic opportunity. Since its founding in 1973, ICHS has grown from a single storefront clinic in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District with deep roots in the Asian Pacific Islander community, to employ more than 500 people and serve nearly 31,000 patients at eight clinic locations in 2017, including the Shoreline Clinic 16549 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133

KeyCorp's roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $136.7 billion at September 30, 2017.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, insurance, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of more than 1,200 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs. The Shoreline Key Bank is at 17500 Aurora.



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New laundromat in 4-Corners business district has large load machines

Friday, April 6, 2018

John's Cleaners has added a laundromat

Text and photos by Wayne Pridemore

John Kasperbouer, the owner of John's Cleaners in the 4-Corners business district, has added a laundromat to his establishment.

Owner John Kasperbouer
John has been in business at the location at 629 NW Richmond Beach Road since 1999.

John's Cleaners is just east of Rite-Aid on the same side of the street.

John decided to add the laundromat because over the years he received many calls asking if there was one in the area.

John's Laundromat uses Primus commercial washers and dryers.

There are two very large 5 1/2 load washers, three medium 3 load washers, and four single load washers and ten dryers.

John explains the settings of the largest capacity washer

Counter person Maria Magno
All are coin operated and supplies can be bought at the establishment. 

The hours of John's laundromat:
  • Monday thru Friday 5:30am until last load start of 8:00 pm
  • Saturday 6:00am until last load start of 7:00 pm
  • Sunday 9:00am until last load start of 6:00 pm 

Call 206-542-2653 with any questions.



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Son of former Shoreline pastor killed in Washington, D.C.

Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke, youngest son of Pastor Paula McCutcheon, former head minister of Ronald United Methodist Church, Shoreline, has died from injuries sustained when he was hit by a car last week in Washington DC, where he was a freshman at American University.

Pastor Paula was instrumental in forming the partnership between Ronald UMC, Compass Housing Alliance and Hopelink that lead to the Ronald Commons project, a mix of affordable housing, food bank and social services support, the first of its kind in Shoreline.

Clarke, 19, was hit last Tuesday March 27, 2018 near the Friendship Heights Metro station in D.C. and died Thursday from the consequences of a severe traumatic brain injury and brain bleed.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help the family with expenses.


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History Link: A Nation's Grief

HistoryLink.org essay: 
A Nation's Grief

Fifty years ago this week, on April 7, 1968, a National Day of Mourning was held for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who had been assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, three days earlier.

In Tacoma, more than 1,000 people marched downtown, singing hymns and protest songs. In Spokane, mourners filled the Calvary Baptist Church to capacity, while more crowded into the basement, listening to the memorial service on a loudspeaker. In Seattle, Mayor Dorm Braman declared April 8 a day of civic mourning and remembrance. Thousands marched to Seattle Center, where Governor Dan Evans spoke at Memorial Stadium.

The Rev. King had only visited Seattle once, on November 8, 1961, and at that time he was still regarded by many as a radical. When his original speaking venue was suddenly canceled, local supporters led by Mt. Zion pastor Samuel B. McKinney scrambled to find alternative platforms for King's message of social and racial justice. At UW he received a standing ovation, and he also spoke at Temple de Hirsch, Garfield High School, and Eagles Auditorium, now home to ACT Theater.

In 1986 Ron Sims, then the first African American member of the King County Council, led the effort to rename King County for the modern-day martyr.

The county was originally named for U.S. Senator William Rufus Devane King, an Alabama slave owner who died days after being sworn in as Vice President in 1853.

A 1986 county resolution redesignated its eponym as the Rev. King, but it would be nearly two decades before the change was affirmed by the Washington State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire as one of her first official acts.

In 2007 King County's official logo was redesigned with an image of Dr. King.


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Thursday's track & field meet includes Alaskan high school

The Sitka Wolves joined
Shorecrest's track and field meet
Thursday 4-5-18 track and field meet at Shoreline Stadium
Host Shorecrest, Kamiak, Shoreline Christian, and special guest, Sitka High School.

Sitka is competing this Saturday at an invitational in Bellingham. They asked if they could join our Thursday meet as part of their trip/journey.

They have not competed in a meet yet this year because it’s too cold in Sitka.






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Shoreline Chamber to hear about Shoreline Schools at Apr 11 luncheon

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Shoreline Chamber of Commerce April Luncheon
Wednesday, April 11, 2018, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Shoreline Center Alumni Room (south end of Shoreline Center) 


Curtis Campbell, Public Information Officer
Shoreline Public Schools
Guest speaker, Curtis Campbell, Shoreline Public Schools, Public Information Officer

Please register by April 9, either by email or registering online. It's easy to register and you can pay online or at the door, with cash, check or card.

$20 online / $25 walk-in registration for members
$25 online / $30 walk-in registration for non-members

Agenda:

11:30 - 12:00 Registration opens and self-serve lunch buffet
12:00 - 12:10 Introductions
12:10 - 12:55 Program
12:55 – 1:00 Chamber announcements

Catered by:
 







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WeatherWatcher: Calm Friday before a windy weekend

Tree damage from a wind storm March 2016.
Photo by Carl Dinse

We have a relatively calm Friday ahead of us before a nasty weekend of wind and rain.

For Friday, expect a slight chance of showers until the evening. High temperatures could reach the mid-60's for a warm and muggy day.

As the evening progresses the next storm will approach, bringing us steady rain.

The rain is expected to continue well into Saturday and Saturday night with between one and one and a half inches of rain.

Winds will start to pick up from the South Southeast in the afternoon hours. Sustained winds of 30-40 mph with gusts up to 45mph are expected. Not enough to prompt a wind advisory or warning but still strong enough to cause some localized power outages and tree damage.

Winds are expected to continue into Sunday, gradually slowing down to a breeze. Rain is also expected to continue. Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday are expected to be in the mid 50's for a high, and mid to upper 40's for a low.

Monday things calm down and look almost like spring, with a partly sunny day, and highs reaching the mid 60's. Rain returns later Monday evening with continued rain on through Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. A mid week wind storm is also back in the cards for Wednesday or Thursday next week as well.

We're calling this month Fake April on twitter, because it's more like November.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com



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Caregiver support group starts Apr 10


Home Instead Senior Care and Iora Primary Care are teaming up to lead a CAREGiver Support Group at Iora in Shoreline, starting April 10.

RSVP / more information: email Maddie.Grant@ioraprimarycare.com or Shawna.Brown@homeinstead.com





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New show at Gallery at Town Center - Laura King & Craig van den Bosch

The Gallery at Town Center Presents 
Laura King and Craig van den Bosch
Through May 12, 2018

Artist Reception at the Gallery at Town Center on April 26th from 5pm-7pm.


The Gallery at Town Center is exhibiting a selection of works by Mixed Media Artist Laura King and Digital Artist Craig van den Bosch, which opened April 3, 2018.

See these works and the creations of over 90 other local artists during gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, Noon to 5pm. 


Laura King is an active artist whose work has been exhibited nationally in the last thirteen years. Her work is both two-dimensional and three-dimensional.

Laura is originally from upstate New York. She moved to Seattle in 2002. She teaches art at Shorecrest High School and is the Visual Arts Specialist for the Shoreline School District. For 17 summers, Laura returned to New York to work at the New York State Summer School for the Visual Arts. She worked for ten years as Assistant Artistic Director and thirteen years as a Master Teacher. The previous five summers she was the Assistant Director of Administration. Prior to that, she was a Teaching Assistant for two summers.

Laura received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Following graduation, she furthered her studies in metals at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, Israel. Laura later received her Masters in Art Education from Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. She currently resides in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Craig van den Bosch

In his current show at Shift Gallery titled Meta Memory: Digital Facsimile Retrospection Recontextualized, Craig van den Bosch has devised a way to share his personal memories without revealing too much.

This is refreshing, given our online world of shares, tweets, likes, and comments! He decontextualizes his personal information visually through multi-dimensional wall sculptures.

Photographs of his personal life have been joined and altered so the memory itself cannot be deciphered. The viewers see colorful abstract works that are complex and dynamic but remain unaware of the layered experiences that have gone into each piece until they read his artist statement.

The last line reveals that his goal is to “take moments in time and nest them into one memory, modifying and tweaking each image set until the original context is indecipherable, a visual encryption. The outside viewer no longer has free access to the memory even though it is made public.”

Van den Bosch is preserving the privacy and sacredness of the moment in a way similar to Australian Aboriginal art traditions called “dreamings” which, wisely and intentionally, leave out aspects of the story.

The Gallery at Town Center is a program of the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Arts Council and is located inside the Lake Forest Park Town Center on the lower level. 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155.

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate creativity and inspire our community through the arts.



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Jobs: Shoreline Community College

Shoreline Community College has an opening for a Part-Time Parenting Education Instructor.

The person hired for this position serves in a combined role and is responsible for providing instruction in Parenting Education, both in the classroom laboratory and in a lecture format, and teaching classes for children.

Job description and application



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More than a million - How far can you walk Shoreline?

Shoreline’s Million Step Challenge is Expanding

Shoreline’s Million Step Challenge is starting May 1 with some exciting changes and a new community goal of 30 million steps walked during the month of May.

The Million Step Challenge is a free, month-long event that invites people of all ages and abilities to walk as much as they can during the month of May in the name of health, fitness, and friendly competition. Participants compete against each other for prizes, as well as working together to reach the 30 million step community goal.

The event started in 2014 in the Ridgecrest Neighborhood and has since expanded to include the entire city. New for 2018, the Million Step Challenge is introducing a “Neighborhood Challenge” where participants will log which neighborhood they walked in (or live in).

The City of Shoreline will track how many total steps each of Shoreline’s 14 neighborhoods have walked awarding a prize to the winner. The goal is to encourage more walking and create a bit of competition amongst the neighborhoods.

There is no need to sign up or register for the Million Step Challenge. Participants without internet access can log their totals on a paper step tracker located at Paramount School Park, 155th St and 8th Ave NE.

Totals will be updated regularly online. There you can see who the current top steppers are and which neighborhood is leading. You can also see our collective progress in reaching the 30 million community step goal.

The Million Step Challenge is produced in partnership between the City of Shoreline and the Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association. We want to thank the North City Water District for sponsoring prizes for the event. You can find more information online or contact Recreation Specialist Marianne Johnson at mjohnson@shorelinewa.gov or 206-801-2600.

Special Events

Kickoff Event
Saturday, April 28, 2018
9:00am, Paramount School Park Picnic Shelter
Join us at the kickoff, meet fellow walkers, and have a chance to log some early steps.

Closing Community Potluck and Awards
Thursday, June 2, 2018
6:30pm, Paramount School Park Picnic Shelter
The whole community is invited to a potluck in celebration of Million Step Challenge. Prizes for participants and awards for top three steppers presented. Bring a potluck dish to share. Beverages, plates, and utensils provided.



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Music and Theater - behind the scenes

Mark Press will speak on
music and theater
The City of Edmonds Arts Commission, Edmonds Library and Friends of the Edmonds Library’s free-admission music series, Music at the Library ends its second series with a behind the scenes look at what it takes to create and provide music for Edmonds Driftwood Players.

Music at the Library: “Music and Theater” with Edmonds Driftwood Players’ Mark Press
Thursday, April 19, 6:30-7:30pm
Edmonds Plaza Room, 650 Main St (above the Edmonds Library)
Admission is free

In this presentation, Mark Press will share stories and songs from audience favorites. Joining Mark are special guest performers from the Edmonds and Seattle stages discussing a new perspective and appreciation for musical theater.

Mark Press has been an arts educator at every level, from Kindergarten through University, and teaching in the Edmonds School District since 1990. He is a very busy singer, trombone player, vocal coach and conductor, directing music for dozens of productions at various venues, including Shorecrest High School, Seattle Musical Theater, Woodinville Repertory, and Madrona Children’s Theater, which he founded in 1993. He has been the Music Director at Edmonds Driftwood Players since 2010.



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Shoreline Fire calls Mar 26 - Apr 1

Annual Firefighters' Easter Egg Hunt
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg
Shoreline Fire calls
March 26 - April 1
  • Aid - 66
  • Aid Non Emergency - 17
  • MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident) - 6
  • Medic - 36 
    • + 45 in Bothell, Northshore some Woodinville including M65, M47
  • MVA Medic
    • 2 both on I-5
    • + 1 in Woodinville w/ M47
  • Medic Rescue Swift Water - 1 in Bothell w/ M47
  • Cardiac Arrest - 3
    • + 2 in Bothell w/M47
  • AFA (Automatic Fire Alarm) - 11
  • Gas Spill/Absorbant - 1 at gas station where the pump did not shut off after pumping
  • Haz - 1 CO alarm in residence
  • Service Call - 3
    • 1 phone wire onto a bus
    • 1 car into a chain link fence needing stabilizing from going off drop-off
    • 1 stuck elevator with occupants
  • Smoke in a Residence - 1 smoke and sparks from a heater
  • Structure Fire Unconfirmed - 1 smoke in residence w/fire in fireplace - nothing found


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Sunday - take your Goodwill donations to Shorecrest to support the band

On Sunday, April 8, 2018 the Shorecrest High School Band will be sponsoring a Goodwill donation truck.

Goodwill will be accepting donations of usable clothing and household items. Working electronics can be donated, but no furniture larger than an end table can be accepted.

The truck will be in the front parking lot of the school (15343 25th Ave NE) from 10:00am to 2:00pm.



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Burglary follow up

There was a very large police response on Monday night, April 2, 2018, around 9:30pm, when a burglar broke the sliding glass door on a home in the 15700 block of Wallingford Ave N.

The resident was home and in the shower. A white male was seen fleeing the area.

Police searched the streets and backyards, using a helicopter, a K9 unit, multiple officers on foot and in vehicles.

During the course of the search, they arrested a 32 year old man on an unrelated criminal warrant.

According to Shoreline Police Chief Shawn Ledford,

"At this point we don’t know if the subject arrested for the warrant is connected to the burglary. The subject is 32 years old, he said he’s homeless, his last known address was in Bellingham. Detectives are following up to see if they can connect him to the burglary."


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Photo: Beautiful but noisy

Photo by Mike Remarcke


The Steller's jays seem to be all over the place right now. They are so very beautiful and so obnoxiously noisy.

So it's look - don't listen!

DKH

Correction: Christine Southworth says there are no blue jays in this area and those pretty birds jumping around my rhodie are Steller's Jays.



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Found Dan Short 4-5-2018

Play shed at the old Children's Center
Photo by Dan Short
Did you know this one? I had no clue - good thing I had the answer! 

Dan was admiring the totem pole on the play shed behind the old Shoreline Children's Center which was the building just south of Meridian Park Elementary at N 175th and Meridian Ave N.

This was photographed over a year ago. The shed and the Center have since been demolished and a new building is going up.

The whereabouts of this totem pole and some other artwork that was on the other side of the shed are unknown to us.

DKH



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Shoreline Police add K9 unit

Deputy Holmes and K9 Recruit Deputy Enzo
New members of the Shoreline Police Department
Photo courtesy Shoreline Police

Deputy Holmes and Enzo are new recruits for the Shoreline Police and the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Holmes, K9 Recruit Enzo’s handler, was raised in the Shoreline area and is a graduate of the Shoreline Public School District (Ridgecrest Elementary, Kellogg Middle School and Shorecrest High School). Deputy Holmes also attended Shoreline Community College. He is an 11 year law enforcement veteran.

K9 Recruit Deputy Enzo is a 2 ½ year old German Shepherd who was imported from Germany by Alderhorst International (a canine vendor in Riverside, CA).

Enzo was selected by the Sheriff’s Office after rigorous testing (temperament, courage, medical evaluation, etc).

It was clear from the get-go Enzo has the qualities the Sheriff's Office requires from our police service dogs.


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Shorecrest Technology Student Association students win 26 awards at state competition

Jubilant Shoreline TSA students with their awards 


The Technology Student Association from Shorecrest sent 22 students to the Spring Conference March 8-10, 2018 of the Washington Technology Student Association.

19 of the 22 students placed in the top 5 in at least one event.

1200 people attended from around the state, including high school students, middle school students, and teachers. There were approximately 35 different events to compete in at the high school level.

List of awards won by Shorecrest students at the state competition

1st Place:
Webmaster: Stella Beemer, Izzy Davis, Alex Fray, Elena Tapia
Fashion Design: Kai Brook, Myles Parent, Alex Resha

2nd Place:
Animatronics: Izzy Davis, Alex Fray, Drew Gawlinski, Samya Murthy, Adam Opfer, Henry Zlab

3rd Place:
System Control Technology: Adam Opfer, Elena Tapia, Katie Wein
Video Game Design: Jaeden Caldwell, Andrew Edwards, Molly Grauer, Liam Prestia, India Sanborn

Finalists (4th or 5th):
Coding: Drew Gawlinski, Teddy Dupre, Grey Owen
Photographic Technology: Stella Beemer
Promotional Design: Elena Tapia

Advisor Kari Potter added "And, to top it off, Stella Beemer was elected as secretary for our state TSA officer team. Way to go Stella!! The whole team helped campaign for her, and it was awesome to watch."

The next step is the Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia. The team is looking for donations to help them attend.

If you would like to help, donations can be made to Shorecrest High School with TSA in the check memo line, or people can contact Advisor Kari Potter for more information.


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City of Shoreline’s Earth Day Every Day Event April 21 at Central Market

Line up for the free stuff
Photo by Marc Weinberg

City of Shoreline’s Earth Day Every Day Event
Saturday, April 21st 9:00am – 2:00pm
Central Market, 15505 Westminster Way North, Shoreline 98133

Celebrate Earth Day and be inspired to make a difference throughout the year. On Saturday, April 21, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Central Market and the City of Shoreline invite you to celebrate our Northwest environment.

See the view from a Recology truck!
Photo by Marc Weinberg
Come try out new eco-living tools and learn how to protect our climate and reduce pollution.

This year, attendees will get to choose one of three giveaway packages designed to reduce waste and prevent water pollution:
  1. Sustainable Living Package: Liberty Bottleworks 24-oz recycled aluminum water bottle and a Simply Strawsreusable glass straw kit,
  2. Natural Yard Care Package: Walt’s Organic worm castings fertilizer in a 10-lb bag and a 2-oz jar of MicraCulture’s Plant Probiotics fertilizer,
  3. Puget Hound Pet Care Package: LED Pet Collar light, an LED flashlight, and a bag dispenser tool with Bio-Buddy recycled-content pet waste bag refills.

There will be activities for all ages and opportunities to learn about low-cost and low-impact landscaping, talk to experts about rain gardens, solar power and green remodeling, get answers to your gardening questions, receive starter vegetable plants, check out products made from recycled materials, and enjoy the view from the driver's seat of a Recology truck!

Learn about noxious weeds
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

This year’s experts include:
 
Brown Bear Car Wash, 
Diggin’ Shoreline, 
Irons Brothers Construction, 
King County Noxious Weed Program, 
North City Water District, 
Recology, 
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, 
Seattle Audubon Society, 
Shoreline Farmers' Market, 
Shoreline Solar Project, 
Washington Native Plant Society and the 
WSU Master Gardeners.



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Burglar breaks into home while homeowner is in the shower

On Monday night, April 2, 2018, around 9:30pm, a Shoreline resident in the 15700 block of Wallingford Ave N was in the shower when someone broke the sliding glass door on her home.

Details are sparse on what happened then, but the burglar fled and the resident was able to call the police.

It did not appear that anything was missing.

A white male was seen fleeing the area. Police conducted a search using a K9 unit, but they were unable to locate anyone.

SEE UPDATE



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King County Republicans are recruiting Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs)

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs) are the official representative of the Republican Party in a precinct and the foundation of the Party.

Becoming a PCO is a great way to get involved in Republican politics, get to know other Republicans in your District and across King County, and most importantly to help elect candidates you support to represent you!
 
Republican PCOs raise awareness about local politics in our communities. They are critical to the success of the Party. The King County Republican Party is actively recruiting new PCOs to represent the Republican Party and the values we fight to protect every day.
 
PCOs are extremely influential in getting out the vote and electing Republicans at all levels of government and are responsible for the governance of the King County Republican Party and election of party leadership. Each legislative district in King County has a Republican Party Organization with regular meetings and party events.
  
Will you join us and take the first step to become an officer in the Republican Party? Follow the link below and fill out the form so we can get you involved as soon as possible.




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Kiwanis to hear about Ethical Considerations in Neuro-Prosthetics

Sara Goering is part of a UW
research team working on technologies
to replace neural pathways
Visitors are welcome to attend a dinner meeting of the North Central Seattle Kiwanis club, a club that represents all of north Seattle in serving the needs of kids.

The club provides an annual free summer camp, Camp Casey on Whidbey Island, for up to 90 kids with physical disabilities.

They also help with Project Cool in providing backpacks loaded with school supplies to homeless kids and have other service projects as well.

Thursday, April 19th from 6:30 to 8:00pm. Dinner begins at 6:30pm, and the program begins at 7:00 pm at PROVAIL 12550 Aurora Ave N. Seattle WA 98133. Ample free parking behind the PROVAIL building.

Guest program speaker is Sara Goering, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington, speaking on Ethical Considerations in Neuro-Prosthetics.

Sara is part of a UW research team working on technologies to replace the function of non-functioning neural pathways that normally allow the brain to communicate with other body parts. The goal is to alleviate disabilities.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

RSVP to help with meal planning. Dinner will be provided for $12 but first time visitors eat free.



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Insurance commissioner fines GEICO for raising premiums on customers who froze their credit scores

Mike Kreidler, Washington state
Insurance Commissioner
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines in February 2018 totaling $49,200 against insurance companies, agents and brokers who violated state insurance regulations.

The biggest fine was $30,000 against GEICO for not properly notifying consumers whose premiums it raised because they had placed a freeze on their credit scores. 

GEICO, Chevy Chase, Md.; fined $30,000, order 17-0377
A consumer filed a complaint with the insurance commissioner after GEICO raised the consumer’s insurance premium after the consumer placed a freeze on a credit score.

State law allows insurers to consider consumers’ credit information when setting premiums, but requires that they notify consumers and give them a reason for the increase when they raise premiums based on credit information.

The company sent an adverse action notice to the consumer but didn’t give the reason for the premium increase.

An inquiry from the commissioner revealed that GEICO sent adverse action notices without citing a reason to 293 consumers in the past two years. After the commissioner’s inquiry, GEICO contacted each of the consumers to address the reason for the adverse action notice and give them an opportunity to lift the freeze for a credit check.

Read questions and answers about credit freezes and insurance in Washington state.

Another fine announced Wednesday was on a Lake Forest Park insurance producer.

Hien Thi Luong, Lake Forest Park, Wash.; fined $500, order 17-0464
Luong, an insurance producer, falsely stated on her license renewal that she completed the required 24 hours of continuing education. She submitted a falsified certificate of completion for a class she did not finish.


 

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Public invited to discussion of “The Forgotten King”

Exploring the last years of the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Before he was struck down by an assassin’s bullet, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had seen his image, his goals and his philosophy of nonviolence attacked from all sides of the political spectrum.

On the week that we remember the 50th Anniversary of his death, King County will hold a special forum to discuss the last two years of King’s life — when his work brought together the issues of racial equality, economic justice and internationalism.

Friday April 6, 2018
Lunch and learn series 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
(Doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
King County Courthouse Room E-942, 9th floor
516 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA

The forum will be led by Bill Fletcher, author and former president of the human rights organization TransAfrica Forum.

Fletcher is now a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies, an editorial board member of BlackCommentator.com and is currently working on a racial justice educational project with the Washington State Labor Council targeted at union members.

The focus of the forum is an examination of the last years of Dr. King’s life and an exploration beyond the myth that has grown around his life.

Who was the Martin Luther King, Jr. that was in Memphis when James Earl Ray took his life on April 4, 1968? How did the work he was doing and the actions that came from that work transform King from one of the most acclaimed men in America to one of the most controversial?

The forum is co-sponsored by the King County Council’s Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Legislative Branch Committee and the office of Metropolitan King County Councilmember Larry Gossett.



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Point Wells application likely to be denied - hear update at RBCA's Tuesday meeting

Richmond Beach Community Association's 
April Community Meeting
Topic: Point Wells
Tuesday, April 10, 7:00pm - meet and greet; 7:30pm - meeting
Richmond Beach Congregational Church, 1512 NW 195th Street, Shoreline

The April 10 public meeting of the Richmond Beach Community Association will be an update on the Point Wells development project. Snohomish County and the developer, BSRE, have been working on the development application for more than seven years, and the long application approval process looks like it is finally coming to a critical point in May.

In January, the county notified BSRE by letter that the county is likely to recommend the application be denied. We’ll review what has happened since that letter, the next steps we know about and tell you about upcoming opportunities for you to get involved again by sending the county your thoughts about the development.

While it will be welcome news for the neighborhood if the county does recommend the application be denied, it is almost certainly not the end of the story, so we’ll also take a look at what may follow over the next few years.

There’s been a lot going on since our last update, so don’t miss this chance to find out the latest.

The meeting is in the lower level of the Richmond Beach Congregational Church, at the corner of Richmond Beach Road and 15th Avenue NW. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for refreshments and a meet and greet, with the program starting at 7:30pm.



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Radar speed signs being installed on key Shoreline streets


Selected streets in Shoreline are getting solar powered radar speed signs this spring.

The base of the signs were constructed in March and the signs themselves will be installed in May.

If you have any questions, contact Hazel DelaCruz at 206-801-2476.


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Photo: Peekaboo heron

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Steve Robinson keeps an eye on the small heron rookery in Kenmore. He took this picture last week. There are nests and birds in and among the branches. Look carefully and you will find them.

DKH



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Edible Book Festival is this Saturday

Life of Pie
Creation by Herb Bryce

Part literary, part culinary, part artistic, and all edible, the Edible Book Festival is sure to tickle your taste buds and your funny bone! This edible art exhibition will feature “books,” made of food and inspired by a book or pun on a book title, that are exhibited, documented, and then devoured.

The event will be held at Third Place Commons in the Lake Forest Park Town Center on Saturday, April 7 at 11am, and is free and open to the public.

Come out and enjoy the mouthwatering manuscripts, or brave your apron to create your own succulent storybook.

Your creation should be inspired by a book, but made out of edible ingredients—sweet or savory. It may look like a book, tablet, or scroll... or be completely unique. Register your delectable literary creation in person at 10:45am on the day of the event (Saturday, April 7).

This is an all ages event and books will be judged in the following categories:

• Most PUNderful
• Most Book-like
• Most Visually Appealing
• Judges Choice Award
• People’s Choice Award

Entries will be judged in two age brackets: Adult and K-12.

Eating the creations
Photo courtesy SLLFPAC

Everyone present can vote for the People’s Choice Award!

This year’s judges include 
  • Bill, The Chocolate Man, 
  • Susan Jones, Artist/Illustrator, 
  • Kalee Shearer, Children’s Librarian, Lake Forest Park Library (KCLS) 
  • Adam Walter, Sales Associate at Third Place Books.
Schedule:
  • 10:45am – Check in. Bring your creation (along with the book that was your inspiration) and appropriate serving utensils to Third Place Commons. We will provide plates, napkins, and forks.
  • 11am-12pm – Photography
  • 12pm-1pm – Judging
  • 12pm-1pm – Voting for People’s Choice Award
  • 1pm-1:15pm – Tallying
  • 1:15pm – Prizes Awarded
  • 1:30pm – Consume the Edible Books!

We’d like to thank our partners, King County Library System, Friends of Third Place Commons and Third Place Books for donating awesome awards.

Shoreline – Lake Forest Park Edible Books Festival Saturday, April 7, 2018, 11:00am – 1:30pm Third Place Commons 17171 Bothell Way NELake Forest Park, WA 98155

Sponsored by The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate creativity and inspire our community through the arts.



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Shorewood baseball edges Everett 6-5

Supportive Shorewood baseball fans
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

Everett 5, Shorewood 6

Everett High came to Meridian Park's fields on Friday, March 30th to face the 2-2 Thunderbirds.

Junior pitcher Kaiden Graves got the start, going 4 solid innings. Everett put up runs on some defensive mis-steps, but Shorewood got two back in the third inning.

Relief Pitcher Kevin Hirohata
Photo by Lisa Hirohata

Relief pitcher Kevin Hirohata held Everett off with 3 scoreless inning. Entering the bottom of the 7th with Everett leading 4-2, Sam Mainwaring started off the comeback with a single, advancing to second on an error.

Connor Testerman makes the stretch
Photo by Tracey Miller

Shorewood batters David Snell and Brandon Main were hit by a pitch and walked to load the bases. A balk by the Everett pitcher scored Mainwaring to go 5-3.

Bryce Lindberg goes for the fly ball
Photo by Tracey Miller

Cameron Highet went to first after being hit by a pitch.

The excitement increased when Everett turned a double play to ring up two outs. Bryce Lindberg came up with a clutch single, scoring Main and Highet to even things up 5-5.

Grady Hampton gets a hit
Photo by Tracey Miller

Grady Hampton got on base with a swinging bunt, putting Kaiden Graves at the plate. He put the ball in play and the Everett third baseman was unable to execute, scoring Lindberg for the win!

T-birds games this week:

Mon 4/2 at Marysville-Getchel
Tues 4/3 at Lynnwood
Wed 4/4 versus Lynnwood at home

--Lisa Hirohata



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