Seattle Symphony sharing free online concerts

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Seattle Symphony

Last week, the Seattle Symphony announced it would continue sharing performances that provide strength, comfort and joy through video rebroadcasts and livestreams throughout the month as our community confronts a current global health crisis. 

Rebroadcasts or livestreams will occur every Thursday at 7:30pm and Saturday at 8pm throughout March, and can be viewed on YouTube and Facebook. Programming updates will be shared weekly at seattlesymphony.org/live.

This week’s rebroadcast will be the live performance of Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 1 led by his fellow countryman, Seattle Symphony Music Director Thomas Dausgaard.

This concert was originally performed on January 30 and February 1, 2020 and was recorded as part of an ongoing cycle of Nielsen’s symphonies for release on Seattle Symphony Media, the orchestra’s in-house record label.



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The UW cherry trees are in bloom - but stay away

2018 Photo by Wayne Pridemore


The UW News says that visitors should avoid coming to UW campus to see cherry blossoms amid COVID-19 outbreak.

2018 Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Thousands of people usually visit campus each spring to see the cherry blossoms. The University is asking people to avoid coming to campus this year to comply with orders by Public Health – Seattle and King County and Gov. Jay Inslee that prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people as our region combats the spread of COVID-19.

Additionally, parking on campus to view the blossoms is discouraged.

2018 Photo by Wayne Pridemore


There are several options to enjoy the blossoms virtually this year: UW Video’s live webcam - Facebook photo album - Follow @uwcherryblossom on Twitter.

--Michelle Ma



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Shoreline councilmembers to participate from home for Mar 23 meeting

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE: The City Council’s March 23 Regular Meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at Shoreline City Hall and is open for the public to attend. To help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, all City Councilmembers will be participating in the meeting remotely by calling into an online video conference. The live feed of the video conference will be playing in the Council Chambers and will be streaming on the City’s website. Therefore, we strongly encourage the public to participate in the meeting remotely

The Council meetings are televised on Comcast channel 21 and Frontier channel 37:
  • Tuesdays at noon and 8:00pm
  • Wednesdays through Sundays at 6:00am, noon, and 8:00pm

Photo: Mike Remarcke

Agenda


The March 23, 2020 Council meeting includes three study items. These are for discussion only and are scheduled to be brought back to Council for adoption on April 6, 2020.

8(a) Discussing Resolution No. 449 Expressing the City’s Support for the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) Joint Climate Commitments

The City of Shoreline was a founding member of the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) in 2011. The updated Joint Commitments document maintains the overarching goal of achieving “Shared countywide greenhouse gas reduction targets that reduce countywide sources of greenhouse gas emissions, compared to a 2007 baseline, by 25% by 2020, 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050”.

8(b) Discussing the 2020-2022 City Council Goals and Work Plan

The Council is committed to fulfilling the community’s long-term vision – Vision 2029 – and being a sustainable city in all respects. The City Council holds an annual Strategic Planning Workshop to monitor progress and determine priorities and action steps necessary to advance Vision 2029.

8(c) Discussion of Ordinance No. 883 Amending the 2019-2020 Final Biennial Budget to Update the Salary Table to Accommodate Additional Staff Needs for the Sound Transit Lynnwood Link Extension Light Rail Transit Project

--Pam Cross



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City of Shoreline update on Recovery Center in Shoreline

Field hospital under construction on Shoreline B soccer field
Photo by Pat Deagan

From the City of Shoreline

King County, in partnership with the City of Shoreline and the Shoreline School District, has selected Shoreline B Soccer Field as the location of a temporary field hospital used for people exposed to, at risk of exposure, or becoming ill with the novel coronavirus.

The majority of the County’s residents will isolate and recover in their own homes. 

King County is creating field hospitals at multiple locations throughout the county for those who cannot safely remain in their own homes without compromising the health of other family members, or do not have a home.

Photo by Pat Deagan


These actions are designed to help curb the spread of the disease, support people who have nowhere else to go, and, most importantly, preserve our local hospital beds for the most acutely ill in our communities.

We believe it is critical that Shoreline do its part to help address this global crisis and provide for the health needs of those in the Shoreline community and those in the broader Puget Sound Region.

King County needs to site facilities that will create 3,000 additional medical beds for King County. It is anticipated that the Shoreline Temporary Field Hospital will be able to provide up to 200 beds. The Shoreline site will be able to serve ill individuals from Shoreline and patients from the greater Puget Sound Region.

To operate the facility, the County will need to obtain a Temporary Use Permit from the City. The City will require the County to meet several conditions before occupancy will be permitted. Some of these conditions relate to security, waste disposal, and access.

This is a rapidly evolving situation that requires quick and decisive action. The County is moving to address the growing need for hospital beds in the region. The County is currently in the process of setting up the tents and other infrastructure in preparation. However, when occupancy will begin is still unclear. 

As more information becomes available, we will post it on shorelinewa.gov/covid.

For more information about King County’s COVID-19 response visit Public Health – Seattle & King County.



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From Councilmember Dembowski: Frequently Asked Questions about Isolation and Quarantine facilities in the county


Frequently Asked Questions – Isolation and Quarantine


What is isolation?
Isolation is used for people who are currently ill and able to spread the disease and who need to stay away from others in order to avoid infecting them.

What is quarantine?
Quarantine is for people who are not currently showing symptoms, but are at increased risk for having been exposed to an infectious disease.

Who is likely to be temporarily housed in Isolation and Quarantine sites?

Examples of people who may occupy the facilities:
  • First responders and health care workers
  • Travelers
  • People who can’t safely self-isolate or quarantine at home, e.g., a student living in a congregate dorm room
  • People experiencing homelessness

Why do we need this action?

It is critical to do all that we can to 1) reduce the spread of the illness; and 2) keep our hospital beds available for people with acute healthcare needs. Public Health has been clear that isolation and quarantine help keep the community safe by containing illness.

How many beds are available at each location?
  • Kent: 30 rooms initially. Total capacity is 84.
  • White Center: Eight modular units with four separate rooms per unit. Total: 32
  • Aurora: Six modular units with four separate rooms per unit. Total 24
  • Interbay: Room for 72 persons.

Can people bring their pets to the Isolation and Quarantine facilities?

No, but King County has made arrangements to board any pets at the Regional Animal Services of King County for the duration of a person’s stay in isolation and quarantine.

How will we decide who stays in these facilities?

Public Health-Seattle and King County will triage calls to the King County COVID Call Center and assess individual need for isolation or quarantine. They will make a determination of the need for self-isolation at home or assignment to a facility. A referral will be made by PHSKC.

How will they get there?

Transportation to and from will be provided by the most appropriate source, including ambulances or other contracted transportation providers.

How will you monitor the health of those in the facilities?

Isolation and quarantine is a proven Public Health practice, giving people a place where they can go to wait out their exposure and keep their family members safe. In most cases, isolation and quarantine monitoring is handled via regular telephone contact. Trained health and, where appropriate, behavioral health professionals will speak regularly with each person in I&Q and monitor any changes in health status and any need for additional care.

Will there be onsite medical assistance?

In most cases, health and behavioral health care will be closely monitored by phone. As the situation in our community changes, it may be necessary to make changes in our response, including the possibility of adding an onsite medical or behavioral health component.

Will there be onsite security?

Yes, there will be 24/7 onsite security at all locations and an on-site manager.

How will people get their other needs met - food, water and other supplies?

Staff will check in with every patient multiple times per day to identify any needs, including food, water, or other requests. Supplies will be delivered to their door. There will be no person-to-person contact between patients and delivery persons.

Who will provide the food?

King County is contracting with FareStart and possibly other food delivery outlets. Dietary restrictions, allergies and cultural needs will be addressed through the food options.

Will the individuals be allowed to leave the premises?

Isolation and quarantine means that you stay away from the general public. Every person will have a phone number they can call if they need anything, or if their condition changes. In addition, staff will check in with every patient multiple times per day to identify any needs. Supplies will be delivered to their door. They will have no need to go out to get anything.

Who decides when they get to leave? Will they have transportation upon departure?

Medical staff will monitor each person’s condition and make an individual determination as to when it is safe for the individual to leave the isolation and quarantine site. They will receive transportation to return to their home or shelter when they have been cleared to leave by PHSKC staff.

Why were communities not consulted in advance of siting?

Executive Constantine signed a proclamation of emergency, enabling the County to take swift measure to find locations that could house people in isolation and recovery, to maintain the effectiveness of our overall health system. In an emergency, swift action is key. The County’s real estate people identified and moved on properties that met the requirements of Public Health. We are communicating with communities in Kent, White Center, and Seattle, the first locations announced. 

We are meeting with community-based organizations, local businesses, and residents to explain the unfolding situation and to gather their questions and respond. The Executive Office and the Department of Local Services have been leading this work. We are absolutely committed to ongoing communications with our communities and our residents.

King County is in negotiations on additional properties throughout the region. This is a countywide emergency. It is not contained to one city or neighborhood, but is an emergency for our entire region. Subsequent announcements from the City of Seattle and King County have identified additional sites on land owned by the city or county. King County is continuing to explore additional sites countywide.

How will you get information to people who speak languages other than English?

The Public Health website has information available in multiple languages on the COVID-19 outbreak, including what to do if you suspect you have been exposed to the illness or are experiencing symptoms. The King County emergency appropriations ordinance includes funding for language access services, community engagement and outreach/education pertaining to the COVID-19 response.

What is the future use of these locations?

We are focused on the public health emergency and creating spaces for people to safely isolate and quarantine. Future use of any of the emergency community services locations being created now is a conversation for a future time.

How does community connect to ask questions about sites?

If there are questions that are not included in this FAQ sheet, please contact our ‘contact us’ via the dedicated subcategory on this issue at (https://blue.kingcounty.gov/about/contact/)



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A letter from Councilmember Rod Dembowski about the temporary Isolation, Treatment and Recovery Center in Shoreline

March 18, 2020

Dear Constituents:

I’m writing to ask for your help. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic that is shaking the world, has hit King County particularly hard. As I write, your public health department which is one of the best in the nation, is leading the effort to combat the spread of this virus. The nation is looking to us and watching our response.

Because there is no vaccine for COVID-19, the basic public health response, as you’re seeing, rests upon the principle of separation and distancing to blunt its spread and reduce the expected peak number of infections in our population. Most of us will be able to participate in this effort by staying home and keeping our distance from one another when interactions are required. But where there are vulnerable people in a household, or a person’s housing status puts others at risk, we need to have a place for folks who need to be isolated, to stay. We also need capacity to give relief to our hospitals. As I write this, every hospital in King County is near or at capacity. We need to have places for folks to be assessed and to recover where they can receive care and not overwhelm our medical system.

King County is working to identify locations for 3,000 temporary beds for this purpose, countywide. Our first two sites were in White Center and Kent. We have identified two additional sites in Seattle, one on Elliot and one off Aurora at 128th. We are activating a site in Bellevue and have leased a motel in Issaquah.

In partnership with the cities, school districts and fire departments in North King County, we have been working to identify additional sites to respond to this national emergency. Over the last few days, after assessing a number of sites in the City of Shoreline, we identified as most feasible the temporary use of athletic fields adjacent to the swimming pool and the Shoreline Center. On Monday, March 16, I personally visited the site with representatives from the county, the city and the school district.

The city, at the county’s request, has authorized construction of two, 20,000 square-foot temporary structures. The Shoreline School District is a partner in this effort as well. The site was selected because it is flat, has drainage, is lit, has necessary utilities, and is reasonably accessible. Scheduled uses of the fields had already been canceled as a result of the public health department’s orders. The city will be reimbursed for all costs, the fields will be fully restored and fair rent will be paid. While the length of use is unknown at this time, it could be concluded in early summer if things go well.

While construction has been authorized, occupancy has not yet been authorized. We will work together to have appropriate safety, 24/7 security, transportation and operational plans in place to mitigate impacts before the site is opened. There is a chance, depending on the success of our social distancing campaign, that the site may not be used at all or may be lightly used.

I understand that you will have questions that are not answered by this brief note. I am sharing a frequently asked question (“FAQ”) sheet provided by our department of community and human services that provides more information.

I want to express my sincere gratitude and deep appreciation for your partnership and support during these trying times. I ask for the support of the Echo Lake, Meridian Park and North City neighborhoods, in particular. The City of Shoreline and its leadership and the school district’s leadership have been heartwarming and represent the best of Shoreline’s long-standing values of service and sacrifice for the betterment of community. I ask that we come together as part of our collective community response to COVID-19 and do what we can to make this necessary medical facility a success.

I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please reach out to me at Rod.Dembowski@KingCounty.gov

Very Truly Yours,

Rod Dembowski

King County Councilmember
District One



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Photos: Visiting grandparents

Grandkids outside Crista Senior Living
Photo by Pam Cross


Grandma and Grandpa live in CRISTA Senior Living. Residents are self-quarantined in their apartments and no visitors are allowed.

That didn't stop the grandkids from visiting. It just meant that they had to talk a little louder.

Lucky to have a balcony
Photo by Pam Cross


Pam Cross spotted this nice family while she was walking her dog.

I spotted this group having a lively visit with the folks on the second floor. Visitors are limited but that didn’t stop them. I smiled all the way home!



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46th LD Democrats will meet on Zoom Wednesday

The 46th LD Democrats (Kenmore, LFP, Lake City) cancelled the in-person version of their Wednesday, March 18th general meeting, and are moving it online. 

If you would like to join the online meeting, these are the details:

You will note that the meeting program starts at 7:00pm, just like our regular meetings, but you can join the feed as early as 6:15pm to test your connection.

A member of the Executive Board will be online to greet you and assist.

If this is your first Zoom meeting, it will take a few minutes to set up on your computer, so you might want to log on at 6:30 or so.

Join Zoom Meeting (click on link)
https://zoom.us/j/707171978
Meeting ID: 707 171 978


The in-person Legislative District caucus scheduled for April 26th, has been moved online. There will be no in-person LD Caucuses for this year. You will all receive more information on this change in the next week, as we learn more about the exact online procedures from the state Democratic Party.

We'll be posting new news and Democratic announcements twice a week during this challenging period - let us know if there's anything you would like to learn more about at info@46dems.org



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Curbside pickup at Mud Bay



Mud Bay locations around Puget Sound are providing curbside pickup for shoppers. Get your pet food and supplies without setting foot in a store!

To help keep your visit as brief as possible, and help protect staff and other customers, 🚗curbside pickup is now available. 📞Call now to place your order for pet food!

LFP Town Center Mud Bay (206) 365-5100

Shoreline Marketplace Mud Bay - 175th and Midvale (206) 629-6062

Other locations: www.mudbay.com/stores




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King county case update for March 17, 2020

From Seattle and King County Public Health

COVID-19 is spreading in King County, with hundreds of cases having been reported to date. We expect the case count to double every 5–7 days unless these orders to stay away from others are followed diligently. 

Already, we can expect that anyone we come into contact with may be infected because there is wide-spread infection in our community.

Follow the guidance for anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 and their contacts on how to prevent the spread to others.

It’s critical to minimize the number of people who get seriously ill at the same time. If too many people get sick all at once, this will put too much of a burden on our health care system. If that happens, people at highest risk – people over 60, and with underlying health conditions – may not be able to get the care they need if they get seriously ill.

Case updates

Public Health – Seattle and King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 3/16/20
  • 518 confirmed cases (up 30 from yesterday)
  • 46 confirmed deaths (up 3 from yesterday)

These additional deaths include:
  • A man in his 70s, who died at Valley Medical Center on 3/16
  • A man in his 90s, who died at EvergreenHealth on 3/16
  • A woman in her 70s, who died at EvergreenHealth on 3/13

Of the 46 deaths reported, 30 are confirmed to be associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland.



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Photo: Soccer and basketball at outdoor venues Monday

Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

Some youth sports were taking place on Monday in Shoreline. This soccer match is at the Shoreline Stadium. Not sure who's playing but they appear to be wearing uniforms.

Photo copyright, Marc Weinberg


Meanwhile, at Cromwell Park, a basketball game was in progress.



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Site in Shoreline identified for hospital tents

Shoreline A/B playing fields behind the
Shoreline Pool and north of the Shoreline Center

King County, the Shoreline School District and City of Shoreline representatives met to discuss the County’s desire to site a field hospital in north King County at the Shoreline A/B athletic fields 19303 1st Ave NE behind the Shoreline Pool. 

This field hospital would have four 100’x200’ hard-side tents with heating and cooling systems, as well as additional trailers for utilities.

They would likely be occupied by transfers from overwhelmed hospitals and other healthcare facilities dealing with COVID-19 health needs. 

Set up could begin as early as March 17th and they may remain on site for a few months. 

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Looking at the patterns from Italy, if we are unsuccessful in stopping the rapid transmission of COVID-19, our hospitals will become overwhelmed. 

King County is being proactive in locating sites all around the county where temporary facilities can be set up. Shoreline is just one of the sites.



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STEM Festival cancelled - planning started for next year

Shoreline STEM Festival Update

With a heavy heart and deep consideration the 2020 Shoreline STEM Festival to be held on May 16, 2020 has been cancelled.

A great deal of uncertainty lies ahead as this virus runs its course and there is no way to predict if the festival’s scheduled day will be one free from social distancing requirements.

Shoreline STEM encourages students to continue to work diligently on Science Fair Projects during their time learning from home and greatly appreciates the community support!

Currently, we are working on securing a date for next year as soon as possible and look forward to seeing you all in 2021.

For updates please follow us Facebook at Shoreline STEM Festival - Home or email us at shorelinestemfestival@gmail.com.




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King County Sheriff’s Office will not execute court ordered evictions

Mitzi Johanknecht
King County Sheriff’s Office will not execute court ordered evictions continues to make adjustments to public facing, non-emergency services to increase social distancing, in light of the COVID-19 health crisis.

Sheriff Johanknecht has informed Presiding Superior Court Judge James Rogers that, effective immediately, the King County Sheriff’s Office will not execute court-ordered evictions in King County until further notice. (Letter attached)

Commissioned staff assigned to our Civil Unit must be healthy and ready to deploy to other assignments where needed during this emergency.

Further, Sheriff Johanknecht is concerned about those who would be without housing during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This is no time to be putting vulnerable people and families on the street without shelter” said Sheriff Johanknecht. “I have committed to suspending evictions during this difficult time when we need to embrace our neighbors rather than remove them from their homes.”

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Shall we dance?

Photo by Gloria Z Nagler


(Double-crested Cormorants shot from the ferry the other day)

--Gloria Z Nagler



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Op-Ed: Helping Community Organizations as we respond to the coronavirus COVID-19

Non-profit agencies weigh in on COVID-19

As the Coronavirus sweeps across our community, all of us are striving to respond in a considered, calm and compassionate way. We mourn the loss of those that have died as the result of the disease, and our hearts go out to their families and loved ones. Just as our communities were enriched by each of those singular lives, our communities are diminished by their deaths.

Taking care of ourselves, our neighbors and our loved ones has become our top priority and hand washing, social distancing, staying informed, self-isolating and self-quarantining are concrete steps we can take to keep each other healthy.

On March 11th Governor Inslee took the unprecedented step of banning events of more than 250 people, noting that “One main defense is to reduce the interaction of people in our lives.”

As nonprofit organization leaders, our day-to-day work year-round is committed to the health and wellbeing of our community and we wholeheartedly support the Governor’s directive. Slowing the growth in the number of Coronavirus cases is critical.

The Governor also noted that we all have a role to play in responding to this public health emergency, that we are all called upon to lead, and we couldn’t agree more. Our organizations, like you, are on the frontline of our community response to this disease, and our services are needed now more than ever. For instance:

  • The economic impact of the virus has meant that more of our neighbors need help with the basics of life: food, clothing and shelter. We are finding creative ways to meet these needs, including grocery gift cards when our food pantries are unable to stay open, additional cleaning for our shelters, and special protective measures to maintain the health of both our guests and our front line staff when clients are able to keep appointments.
  • The emotional impact of the virus has meant that many of our neighbors are experiencing anxiety, depression, isolation or feelings of helplessness and fear. Our counseling services have helped them cope with the impacts of these feelings, strengthening their ability to weather the uncertainties that we face at this challenging time.

As these needs increase in our community, we are also being called upon to do more with less—a lot less in many cases, as cancelled fundraising events across the community, along with lack of revenue from canceled in-person client appointments and group events continue to severely impact the resources our organizations rely on to do our important work.

Nationally, some of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations are calling for inclusion of our sector in any economic stimulus package, recognizing that our sector is the third largest employment sector. In fact, the vast majority of nonprofits are small businesses, with 92% operating with under $1M in annual spending.

We often assume that nonprofit organizations will be there for all of us when we need them. 

Unfortunately, our sector has not fully recovered from the 2008 economic recession and a recent study shows that more than half of nonprofit organizations have less than one month’s cash, demonstrating how fragile our community safety net really is. 

Because we serve our community’s most vulnerable residents, we need a stronger infrastructure not just for today’s crisis, but to strengthen our communities for the future. Now, more than ever, we need both policies and our community partners to support us with their gifts of time and money.

As you reflect on your leadership during this crisis, we hope you will support your local nonprofit with an additional donation or an offer of support. Together, we can help those most impacted by the virus while maintaining the social safety net that is crucial to a strong and resilient community.

Submitted by:

The Steering Committee for Brave Commitments, a coalition of youth serving human service organizations in King County convened to strengthen and stabilize services for the children, youth, young adults and families of our community.

Anthony Austin, Executive Director, Southeast Youth and Family Services
Mahnaz Eshetu, Executive Director, Refugee Women’s Alliance
Melinda Giovengo, CEO, YouthCare
Mike Heinisch, Executive Director, Kent Youth and Family Services



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Third Place Commons temporary closure update

To Our Beloved Commons Community,

In response to Governor Inslee’s most recent mandates related to COVID-19, here are the latest changes at Third Place Commons:

The Commons space is now closed until further notice - Although Third Place Commons operates as a nonprofit organization, separate from our neighboring restaurants, stores, and the Town Center mall, we are naturally an interdependent community.
 
As we previously shared, although programming was being cancelled, the space at Third Place Commons is opened and closed each day by Town Center Security, and thus remains physically open during mall business hours.

However, in response to the mandate that all restaurants close or provide take-out only, Town Center management has removed all chairs from the dining area to discourage diners from loitering with their to-go items.

This means that the Commons space is now effectively closed until further notice, even for small groups and solo workers.

All weekend music, stage events, and groups based in the Commons are canceled until further notice - This closure will remain in place at minimum through the end of March, likely much longer. We will share updates widely when we are able to reopen the space and restart stage and Commons programming.

Like you, we are saddened and distressed by these developments, and we will miss our Commons community during these trying times. However, we also share the commitment with all of you to ensure the good health and safety of our community. So we join with state and local authorities in asking everyone to stay home as much as possible as we each do our part to reduce the spread of this novel coronavirus.

We know the value of joining together in the same space to connect, laugh, and learn, and we greatly look forward to the time when we can do that once again with all of you at Third Place Commons. That time will come.

In the meantime, you can follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for updates (and hopefully some little doses of good cheer to get you through).


As many of you know, the onset of this outbreak came just as our fundraising breakfast was scheduled to take place. Although authorities had not yet mandated such cancellations at that time, we felt it was in the best interest of our community to cancel that event out of an abundance of caution. And indeed, within a week, such events had been prohibited.

As a community supported nonprofit, our strength depends on you. Needless to say, the cancellation of our biggest fundraiser of the year has significant financial ramifications for Third Place Commons and the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market. Please consider an online gift today to help us fill the gap.

Thank you and take care!

Amy Whittenburg
Executive Director
Third Place Commons


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Jerry's Garden 5

Photo by Jerry Pickard


Another lovely selection from Jerry Pickard's garden. He said this is a summer flower. Identification anyone?




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Gallery at Town Center closed until further notice

Starting on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 the Gallery at Town Center will be CLOSED until further notice.

Call the gallery at 206-588-8332 (if they are open, someone will answer the phone) or email gallery@shorelinearts.net for the most current information.

If you would like to find out more about our current featured show, you can visit both Megan Teutchel and Mycah Higley online!

Thank you for your continued support of the arts in our community. We will get through this. Much love to you all!

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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Statement by Mayor Johnson to the LFP Community

Mayor Jeff Johnson
City of Lake Forest Park
Statement by Mayor Johnson to the LFP Community

As we all go through this difficult time together, I wanted to reassure all the citizens of LFP that even though City Hall is closed to the public, we are up and running. 

First responders, Police, Fire, and Public Works are all out doing whatever they are called upon to do. 

City staff is in, helping support all normal functions of the city. As with all areas of life today, our staff is going through the same things as you, lack of child-care, underlying health conditions, elderly parents, etc.

The City Council is working hard and will have ongoing meetings, with safety being their primary concern. 

We all need to support the families with children and the school districts to get through this unprecedented time. 

As a small business owner, my heart goes out to all those whose livelihoods have been greatly affected and we will support you. Finally, we, as the family of LFP, must do everything in our power to stop the spread of this virus, support each other any way we can and always keep those on the medical front lines in our thoughts and prayers. 

Please take care of yourselves, family and friends. We will get through this!



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Notes from Shoreline City Council Meeting March 16, 2020

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Shoreline City Hall
Photo by Mike Remarcke
Shoreline City Council Meeting 
March 16, 2020
Notes by Pam Cross

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm

All Councilmembers were present. Councilmembers McGlashan, McConnell and Roberts attended electronically. All Councilmembers will remotely attend next week’s meeting.

The Mayor offered the City’s condolences to families who have lost friends and family members to the coronavirus (COVID-19), and wished a quick recovery to those who are ill. The Mayor stated that the City is taking all available steps to keep our community safe. He also briefly reviewed the current restrictions. Up-to-date information is available at shorelinewa.gov/covid as well as on the State and County websites.

This is the first Council meeting under current assembly restrictions and he apologized in advance for any glitches in their use of this different technology.

Report of the City Manager Debbie Tarry

All recreation facilities remain closed.

Summer camp registration began last week but is limited to online and phone applications. There are a few remaining openings.

Spring/Summer recreation program registration has been postponed until further notice.

Parks and trails are open but please follow social distancing practices and give a 6’ space to others. Note that play equipment is not sanitized. Users should use caution, bring sanitizers and wash hands thoroughly after use.

Outdoor facility rentals have been cancelled.

All meetings and events, except Council meetings, have been cancelled through the end of March. Some April events, including Earth Day, have been cancelled. Open houses will be presented online.

See online calendar for up to date status of events shorelinewa.gov/calendar

City Hall is closed to the public. Employees are telecommuting when they can. Services to the public are available by phone or internet, however there may be some services they are unable to provide. For example, inspections inside occupied residences or businesses have been discontinued for now.

Information for small businesses has been posted at shorelinewa.gov/business, and

State expansion of unemployment compensation information is available at ESD.gov.wa

King County, Shoreline School District and City representatives met to discuss the County’s desire to site a field hospital in north King County at the Shoreline A/B athletic field 19303 1st Ave NE near the Shoreline Pool. This field hospital will have four 100’x200’ hard-side tents with heating and cooling systems, as well as additional trailers for utilities. They will likely be occupied by transfers from overwhelmed hospitals and other healthcare facilities dealing with COVID-19 health needs. Set up may begin March 17th and they may remain on site for a few months. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Council Member Reports

Several Councilmembers attended the National League of Cities Conference in Washington DC.

One of the meetings Deputy Mayor Scully attended was with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where he and others expressed concerns about aircraft noise. Another attendee commented that this was the most receptive the FAA had appeared to be. The FAA stated they are aware of the issue and plan to have public hearings in the future.

Councilmember Roberts participated in the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources committee. He also volunteered to serve on a subcommittee to review the portion of the National League of Cities platform on energy production. He participated in several Race, Equity and Leadership (REAL) events including a forum on how cities can work with federally recognized tribes

Public Comment via telephone

Julien Loh, Local Public Affairs Manager for Puget Sound Energy (PSE)
PSE will not be disconnecting customers during this time but will work with the customer to develop a payment plan, and late fees will be waived.

Kathleen Russell, Shoreline, Save Shoreline Trees, spoke favor of saving the trees on Dayton Ave N.(155th - 160th). The most recent update on March 4th stated the parking and amenity zones have been excluded. Please consider grass or asphalt for the sidewalk.

The City Manager responds: based on the moving of the amenity zone and the exclusion of parking, as well as WSDOT’s revised way of providing the sidewalk while still meeting the City’s code requirements, we are down to 4 trees to be removed from Dayton. They are working to minimize any root impact to remaining trees and ways to provide adequate water in the future. Updated information for trees on 155th and 160th is not yet available.

The agenda was approved unanimously.

The Consent Calendar was adopted, without discussion, unanimously.

Action Item 8(a) Adoption of the 2020 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Docket

Rachael Markle, AICP, Director gave the staff report

The Council discussed the 2020 Docket, as recommended by the Planning Commission, on March 2nd. Council will consider which proposed amendments to include on the Docket.

The following proposed amendments were discussed on March 2nd:

Amendment #1 (City Initiated)

Amend the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan to acquire park and open space between Dayton Avenue and Interstate 5 and between 145th and 165th Streets, instead of the more constrained area between Aurora and I-5, and 155th and 165th. This will provide additional opportunities to meet the level of service requirements for the Westminster Triangle neighborhood.

Amendment #2 (City Initiated)

Amend the Point Wells Subarea Plan to be consistent with Interlocal Agreement between City of Shoreline and Town of Woodway. This pertains to Shoreline’s support of Woodway’s future annexation of Point Wells.

Amendment #3 (Privately-Initiated)

Amend the Land Use Element to include a new policy requiring commercial uses within commercial and mixed-use zones.

Motion and second to adopt 2020 docket including all three amendments

Discussion of Amendment #3

Council may decide to:
  1. Remove Amendment #3 from the docket, and/or
  2. Begin working on implementing Development Code Amendments, or
  3. Take a two phase approach which would focus on Development Code amendments.

Phase 1 Development Code amendments would consider the non-residential zones in the North City and Ridgecrest Neighborhoods.

Phase 2 Development Code amendments would encompass those areas expressed by Councilmembers that are not included in Phase 1, including Shoreline Place, the 145th and 185th Station Subareas, and Richmond Beach.

This amendment may not be necessary and may delay implementing the commercial use requirement within the Comprehensive Plan. We don’t want any unnecessary delays. There is general agreement that we value a requirement for ground floor commercial where the community is strongly in support of it, such as Ridgecrest and North City. But other areas of the City that are mixed-use may have different views. Some problematic language in the proposed amendment was also discussed at the last meeting “intended to provides goods and services (for) the immediate neighborhood rather than.. the broader nearby communities”. This would exclude regional businesses.

Motion and second to remove Amendment #3 from the docket as recommended by the Planning Commission.

This will allow staff to immediately work on implementation of what is already in the Comprehensive plan rather than first exploring requirements and/or incentives of Amendment #3 before implementing any changes. This will save approximately 6-10 months.

Retail has changed, the economy has changed, and we ended up with mostly residential. Flexibility is needed to try something different when an older model stops working. But Amendment #3 will make extra work for planning staff and delays will result, when we are all in agreement that changes need to be made. It is within our authority to make these changes in the Development Plan without the extra work.

Decision

Motion to remove Amendment #3 from the docket passes unanimously

Motion and second to direct staff to review the City’s development regulations to explore the creation of ground floor commercial requirements and incentives within the non-residential zones and mixed use residential zones located in the North City and Ridgecrest areas.

Motion passes unanimously

Motion to pass the 2020 Docket as amended (Amendments 1 and 2) passes unanimously

Study Item 9(a):

Discussion of Evaluating Undergrounding Overhead Utilities for a Variety of Capital Projects and Confirmation of Potential Undergrounding on All or a Portion of the 145th Street Corridor Improvement Project Between Aurora Avenue and Interstate-5

Randy Witt, Public Works Director, provided the staff report

Evaluation Criteria
  • Project meets comp code requirements. Will the project disturb the existing facilities anyway? This is a City capital project. There are no electrical carrying facilities over 35kV, because Seattle will not underground anything that high voltage.
  • Is project eligible for use of the Seattle City Light (SCL) franchise undergrounding action? This will allow the full actual costs of the undergrounding design and construction to be borne by SCL’s Shoreline customers and recovered through an increment to SCL’s electric service rates to its customers within the City, less the estimated SCL costs if the Public Project were to be Relocated overhead. This increment will be sufficient to reimburse SCL for all costs SCL incurs to complete construction of the undergrounding. This provides strong support because without it, we would have to pay for it ourselves.
  • Is the project of sufficient size to warrant undergrounding? Staff recommends a 500’ length threshold since it is the minimum for Seattle. Additionally, we don’t want to spend more on undergrounding than the cost of the project itself. Staff recommends a threshold of $1.5M.
  • What is the estimated cost to residents? This can be measured by rate/KWH however taxpayers are more interested in what the monthly charge will be for the average customer. This can be viewed as the cost of the specific project to the customer or the cumulative surcharge for all projects. If the project surcharge is $2.50 but the current surcharge is $5.50, then ratepayers are looking at $8.00 total. Does it support redevelopment? Staff recommends a $1.00/month project threshold and a $10.00/month cumulative threshold. Does undergrounding support redevelopment? Is it adjacent to high density? Is it on an arterial? Does it facilitate structures closer to the property line? Does the developer want no setback? (Power lines have their own setback requirements). Does it support a needed upgrade of the existing electrical?
  • Other considerations: Can the project schedule accommodate undergrounding? Is the project adjacent to roadways with no overheads? Will it provide an opportunity to coordinate with other utilities?
How does the evaluation criteria apply to the 145th Street Corridor Improvement Project Between Aurora Avenue and Interstate-5

Shoreline is designing the entire corridor and construction is in three phases. Phase 1 is funded, phases 2 and 3 are not fully funded. (see staff report for maps and additional details)

Overall the project meets City requirements for undergrounding.

145th is not within Shoreline’s city limits - it is in Seattle. The electrical is on the Seattle side (south) but Telecom, cable, and electrical utility drops to houses are on the Shoreline side (north). We cannot use SCL franchise because the project is not entirely within our city limits so we would have to use City funds to perform this work and that money needs to be available upfront.

Undergrounding power lines along the south side of 145th doesn’t help Shoreline’s redevelopment because they are in Seattle.

Undergrounding telecommunications and cable utilities on the north side of 145th helps with Shoreline sidewalk and amenity zones. We may have opportunities for cost sharing with the developer or the utilities.

Staff recommends not undergrounding the electrical power along the south side of 145th but to underground the overhead telecom, cable and other utilities on the north side of the street in Phases 1 and 2.

Staff would like Council’s feedback on the evaluation criteria.

Discussion

Where are these guidelines? Should they be put into the municipal code or this just an analytical tool for staff?

Reply: they should be in a manual or something for staff to use.

Seattle is not interested in undergrounding 145th on their side.

Reply: They’re ok with what we want to do on our side but don’t have any money to help out. We want to underground and eliminate the existing poles.

Does this mean we don’t help on the Seattle side?

Reply: we will be doing signal improvements and ramp cuts at the intersections. We are not replacing their sidewalks, replacing curb lines or widening on the Seattle side.

Where does the money come from for our undergrounding?

Reply: It comes from the overall project. We have some possible grants, developer and maybe utility company contributions,

Is it possible to require undergrounding of utilities in a large development if we require it as a fronting improvement?

Reply: that’s a possibility. Also, developers sometimes have their own interest in undergrounding so they don’t have to be 10’ back from power lines.

Didn’t we create a law for latecomer agreements?

(A Latecomer Agreement allows developers the potential to recover a portion of the costs of installing the new utility facilities. If a neighboring property connects to it, it will have to pay its fair share of the installation costs of the utility because this neighboring property is a benefitting parcel. In this way, the ‘first-in’ developer doesn’t subsidize these benefitting parcels which connect to the utility in the next 20 years.)

Reply: yes, that would be something we would consider.

On 145th, our City is not going to pay to underground on the Seattle side of the street when Seattle is not paying for it. But on our side of the street, there is value to undergrounding. However, it’s expensive. Maybe too expensive when we have a lot of other needs. But at the same time the whole project is a lot of money and we want to encourage development of that MUR70 and MUR45 area.

NOTE: Next week technology for the council meeting will be improved because we will all be on a single system.

Meeting Adjourned



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Cartoon for St. Patrick's Day




Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Afraid that all celebrations will have to be virtual
but feel free to put green food coloring in your beer
and find some Irish folk music online

(Editor recommendation: The Clancy Brothers)



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Town Center Ghost Town

Third Place Commons is closed
Photo by Cynthia Sheridan


The Commons dining area at Lake Forest Park Town Center is usually a beehive of activity for dining, social gatherings, bridge, board games, music events or just relaxing. The dining area is now closed.

Honey Bear Bakery
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Honey Bear Bakery will continue their menu on a take out basis and plans to connect with GrubHub going forward.

Dumpling Generation was new
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


The brand new Dumpling Generation barely had time to open their new restaurant before they had to close.

Third Place Books is open
and also doing business online


Third Place Books is open daily till 7 with room for physical distancing. They are doing a lot of online business as well.

Plenty of parking spaces
Photo by Cynthia Sheridan


On a normal sunny afternoon it is difficult to find a parking place at LFP Town Center.

--Cynthia Sheridan




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Public Health case numbers

From Seattle and King County Public Health

COVID-19 is spreading, with hundreds of cases having been reported to date. We expect the case count to double every 5–7 days unless these orders to stay away from others are followed diligently. Already, we can expect that anyone we come into contact with may be infected because there is wide-spread infection in our community.

Follow the guidance for anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 and their contacts on how to prevent the spread to others.

It’s critical to minimize the number of people who get seriously ill at the same time. If too many people get sick all at once, this will put too much of a burden on our health care system.

Case updates

Public Health – Seattle and King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths in King county due to COVID-19 through 11:59pm on 3/15/20.

488 confirmed cases (up 68 from yesterday)
43 confirmed deaths (up 6 from yesterday)

These additional deaths include:

A man in his 80s, who died on 3/15
A woman in her 70s, who died on 3/15
A man in his 80s, who died on  3/11
A woman in her 50s, who died 3/8 at Harborview Medical Center
A woman in her 70s, who died on 3/14 at Northwest Hospital
A woman her 90s, a resident of Redmond of Redmond Care and Rehab, who died on 3/12
Of the 43 deaths reported, 29 are confirmed to be associated with Life Care Center.



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Election update: approaching the end

With only an estimated 28,837 ballots left to count in the state, the presidential primary election is approaching the end.

Joe Biden is ahead of Bernie Sanders by 21,000 votes and has been steadily increasing this lead over the past week.

As of March 16, 2020 at 6:49pm, here are the numbers for the top tier candidates.

CandidatePartyVotes% of total
Joseph R. BidenD575,29137.81
Bernie SandersD553,93036.41
Elizabeth WarrenD140,8689.26
Michael BloombergD120,9117.95
Pete ButtigiegD62,7304.12
Amy KlobucharD33,0062.17
Donald J. TrumpR668,12898.36




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