Lake Forest Park City Council Committee of the Whole meets Monday on Zoom

Saturday, April 18, 2020

LFP City Hall is closed
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The City Council Committee of the Whole will meet on Monday, April 20, 2020 at 6pm

City Hall is currently closed and this meeting will be held virtually, via Zoom.

See the bottom of the agenda for instructions on how to participate.

Topics to be covered:
  1. Project Updates – City Administrator Phillip Hill 
  2. Planning Commission Update and Anticipated Council Work Plan – Councilmember Tom French 
  3. Budget and Finance Committee Update – Councilmember John Resha 
  4. Legislative Committee Update regarding Federal Assistance for Small Cities 
  5. King County Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) Joint Commitment Letter, first touch


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Photo: A deserted RB Saltwater Park

Aerial photography, copyright Marc Weinberg


The parking is closed at popular Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. People have been parking on neighborhood streets and walking down to the beach.

But Saturday was cold, rainy, and overcast until late in the afternoon.

The parking lot in the foreground is where people park to drink coffee and watch the sunset when the park is open.



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Have you recovered from COVID-19? Donate blood plasma



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Washington State Department of Health, and Bloodworks Northwest are partnering to make the antibodies of people who have recovered from COVID-19 available to those currently sick with the disease.

This is one potentially effective treatment that can be administered and evaluated soon, while vaccines are being developed.

This month, CDC began sending letters to people in the state of Washington who were recently sick with COVID-19 to ask them to consider donating blood plasma as soon as possible.

When someone is infected with a virus, their body makes antibodies, or proteins, that help their immune system kill the virus. Plasma is the part of blood that contains those antibodies.

People who have previously been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 may have antibodies specific to the virus.

Treating patients with plasma donated by people who were previously sick with the same infection (called convalescent plasma) or with concentrated antibodies manufactured from pools of convalescent plasma (called hyperimmune globulin) has been successfully used to treat other infectious diseases.

“Treating patients with the antibody-based products from those who have survived an infection may boost the immune systems of those who are sick and has the potential to save lives,” said Sridhar Basavaraju, M.D., Director of CDC’s Office of Blood, Organ and Other Tissue Safety.

As CDC works with the Washington State Department of Health to contact patients previously infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, the nonprofit blood collection organization Bloodworks Northwest will ensure that donors are healthy enough to donate and will coordinate testing to determine the level of antibodies in their blood.

Once collected, plasma will be made into hyperimmune globulin to be studied for effectiveness. Other plasma will also be available to healthcare providers for transfusion as convalescent plasma.

The FDA regulates convalescent plasma when it is infused into patients as an “investigational new drug” and will permit doctors to use it to treat patients with COVID-19 after submitting a request to FDA for investigational use.

“This program is looking for people who’ve had the COVID-19 disease and recovered, and have been symptom free for 28-days, to be fully screened to donate their antibody-rich plasma,” said Dr. Rebecca Haley, Bloodworks Northwest Medical Director of Cell Therapy. 
“People who believe they might qualify for this study and have received a previous positive test result are urged to contact us immediately at 206-689-6689 to assist these efforts. We are not able to accept presumed cases of COVID-19 at this time.”

In the United States, the virus that causes COVID-19 has infected more than 600,000 people and more than 24,000 people have died. Thousands, however, have recovered and could be a source of convalescent plasma, which could help other patients recover and prevent deaths.

Plasma background
Plasma is the liquid component of the blood that contains various proteins -- including antibodies that defend your body against prior viruses or infections. Donated plasma is used to treat people fighting severe infections, or with diseases or medical conditions where their own bodies are not able to make antibodies.

About Bloodworks Northwest
Bloodworks Northwest is backed by 75 years of Northwest history and 250,000 donors. It is local, nonprofit, independent, volunteer-supported and community-based.

A recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Bloodworks serves patients at hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska — partnering closely with local hospitals to deliver the highest level of patient care.

Comprehensive services include blood components, complex cross-matching, specialized lab services for organ transplants, care for patients with blood disorders, and collection of cord blood stem cells for cancer treatment.

Bloodworks Research Institute performs leading-edge research in blood biology, transfusion medicine, blood storage and treatment of blood disorders.

Patients with traumatic injuries, undergoing surgeries or organ transplantation, or receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders all depend on our services, expertise, laboratories and research.

More information HERE about the study.



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A gift of beauty

Photo by Seattle Poppy

Many thanks to the person who created this bit of beauty outside their fence for the world to enjoy.

Photo by Seattle Poppy

Roving photographer Seattle Poppy says it is very near the Shoreline Library.

The gardener only gets to admire the results of their work when they are weeding  - so thank you from the rest of us!




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Friday night lights at Shoreline Stadium

Screenshot courtesy Shoreline Schools


Friday at 8:20pm, the Shoreline School District joined the WIAA of Washington and school districts across the state in turning on our Shoreline Stadium lights for 20 minutes to recognize and honor our 2020 senior athletes and performers whose season was cut short by the pandemic.

You can watch it HERE

 #BeTheLightWA  #BeTheLightShoreline



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Scene on the Sound: California sea lions rafting at the beach

Aerial photography, copyright Marc Weinberg


California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus
Dark brown to black. Male: 8' / 800 lbs; Female: 6' 250 lbs

According to marine biologist and Shoreline resident Marla Tullio,

"These guys are hanging out or “rafting” as bachelor males in areas close to local beaches.

"They will frequently use their fur free front flipper stuck up in the air like a sail or just regulating their body temperature.

"You may hear their characteristic “bark”  before seeing them.

"They are strong and fast swimmers federally protected, do not approach since they need their rest to swim and catch their food.

"They also can become extremely aggressive so keep your distance including your pets. Just enjoy them from a distance  or listen for them during a quiet calm morning at the beach."



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In home testing helps reveal extent of COVID-19 infections

SCAN test kits are used at home

Cases of COVID-19 that might have gone undetected are now being identified across King County, thanks to volunteer participants using a new at-home test kit to collect a nasal sample and return it to a lab for testing.

Public Health — Seattle and King County and the team behind the Seattle Flu Study launched the greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network—or SCAN for short, on March 23, 2020.

SCAN is the first COVID-19 surveillance program in the U.S. to use “swab-and-send” test kits.

These kits allow individuals to collect their own nasal sample and return it to a lab for testing without leaving home to observe physical distancing guidance and reduce exposure to others.

In its first 18 days, SCAN tested 4,092 samples. Nearly two-thirds of the samples were returned by individuals who in the seven days prior to enrollment had reported COVID-like illness (fever, cough, or shortness of breath). However, more than three-quarters of these individuals indicated they had not yet sought medical care.

“SCAN is a way for King County residents to help us better understand the true extent of the outbreak,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health — Seattle and King County. 
“As more representative samples from people all across the region are collected and tested, the findings will become increasingly valuable,” he said, emphasizing the importance of efforts to ensure greater diversity among SCAN participants

SCAN testing among those reporting COVID-like illness returned 44 (1.6%) positive results for COVID-19 — a proportion lower than that being returned through testing within the medical system, but one that may still represent thousands of unrecognized infections in the community.

Testing resources for first responders and health care workers

If you are a first responder or a health care worker and are currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (typically fever, cough, or shortness of breath) and cannot access testing through your healthcare provider or occupational health services at your workplace, there is COVID-19 testing available.

Go to the COVID-19 website under “Resources for service providers and health care providers,” for more information and to complete a survey to see if you meet criteria for these tests, or call 206-477-3977.



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A host, of golden daffodils

Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Daffodils

by William Wordsworth


I wandered lonely as a cloud

that floats high o'er vales and hills,

when all at once I saw a crowd,

a host, of golden daffodils;

beside the lake, beneath the trees,

fluttering and dancing in the breeze


Photo by Wayne Pridemore



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AG Ferguson to gyms and fitness centers: Allow members to cancel memberships or face legal consequences

Photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash
In response to dozens of consumer complaints, Attorney General Bob Ferguson today sent an open letter to Washington fitness centers and gyms providing the following guidance:
  • Gyms and fitness centers must allow customers to cancel their memberships at any time, for any reason, including the inability to access their gym or fitness due to the global pandemic, provided those requests are issued in writing.
  • Members who cancel their gym and fitness center membership are legally entitled to a refund – not credits – of the unused portion of any prepaid fees or dues.
  • Fitness centers must pay the refund within 30 days of receipt of a written notice of cancellation.
  • Gyms and fitness centers cannot misrepresent these rights or prevent members from cancelling.

Ferguson’s letter warns that any gym failing to comply is violating the Washington State Consumer Protection Act, and will face legal action from his office.

“My office received dozens of complaints from Washington consumers that their fitness center is continuing to charge them membership fees in the midst of this crisis,” Ferguson said. “The law is clear: Washingtonians are allowed to cancel their gym memberships any time, for any reason.”

Ferguson’s guidance applies to all health studios, defined in the Washington State Health Studio Services Act as “any person or entity engaged in the sale of instruction, training, assistance or use of facilities which purport to assist patrons to improve their physical condition or appearance through physical exercise, bodybuilding, weight loss, figure development, the martial arts, or any other similar activity.”

Nothing in the law prohibits a fitness center from waiving the written requirement and accepting cancellations from its members by phone.

Gyms can also comply with the law by not charging membership fees until gyms can safely reopen.

Ferguson’s office responded to every consumer complaint he received regarding gyms and fitness centers. The letter states that the Attorney General’s Office has contacted many gyms and fitness centers that have already frozen memberships or issued refunds.

Consumer Protection lawsuits brought by the Attorney General’s Office can seek civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation plus consumer restitution and reasonable attorney fees.

Anyone experiencing similar unfair business practices are encouraged to file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.




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Aerial view of Alexan Shoreline

Alexan Shoreline
Aerial photography, copyright Marc Weinberg


Alexan Shoreline is one building, six-story, 414,060 sq. ft. mixed-use apartment building and parking structure with 330 units, common and amenity spaces, elevators, stairs, 302 parking spaces and 198 bike parking spaces.

Project Owner: Trammell Crow Residential

Graham Construction and Management, which is also building the Alexan 100 Denny in Seattle. Chris Bahus is senior project coordinator.

Canon Architecture.

The project is $72 million and was slated to open in July 2021 before construction was shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is located near the Blue Bridges on Aurora, Westminster Way, and across from the lower section of Shoreline Place which will also house a huge apartment complex.

--Diane Hettrick





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Scene on the Sound: Land, air, and sea

Photo by Jan Hansen


A double-rotor chopper flies over Puget Sound.




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COVID-19 in long-term care facilities

CRISTA is one of the local long-term care
facilities reporting COVID-19 cases
Photo courtesy CRISTA
By Cynthia Sheridan

On March 29 the CRISTA nursing facility on the Shoreline campus on Fremont Ave N arranged for testing of residents and staff members living or working in an isolated wing where multiple residents had recently tested positive.

26 residents and 16 staff who worked on that unit have now tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. 

Residents on that unit who did not test positive have been moved to other areas of the nursing facility. Employees who have tested positive have been removed from the workplace and referred to their primary care providers for treatment. (Direct quote from CRISTA website)

Amid rising concerns for our senior adults living in health care facilities, the Washington State Department of Health and Human Services has stepped up its efforts to assist the 400 plus care homes under state jurisdiction.

Recently DSHS implemented a media teleconference to keep the public updated and informed. Leading this charge are Bill Moss, DSHS Aging and Long-term Support; Candace Goehring. DSHS Director, Residential Care Services and Dr Charissa Fotinos Deputy CMO, Health Care Authority.

This week DSHS discussed two key changes for senior health care facilities:
  • lifting facility rate-increase limitations, since expenses have risen dramatically to care for COVID-19 patients and
  • personnel waivers to cover the increased need for caregivers.

Changes coming soon include more testing, universal masking in every facility and creating co-vid specific facilities so that co-vid patients aren’t living with non-co-vid residents.

DSHS is currently conducting a phone survey with all residential health care facilities to establish a census (total number of residents) and also to determine the number with the COVID-19 diagnosis. At this point at least 200 (or half) of all Washington facilities are housing residents who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Some issues with COVID-19 testing in care homes are: PPE protection, swabs shortage, shortage of the viral transplant media, lab turnaround time, availability of testing for all residents vs. symptomatic residents only.

DSHS is offering guidance and PPE resources, as well as on-site and off-site inspection. Care facilities are required to report COVID-19 cases to DSHS Residential Care Services and also to their local health services department. All COVID-19 lab tests are reported to appropriate state agencies. If a patient becomes ill, the primary care provider and/or emergency services (911) help determine proper placement.

COVID-19 cases are still rising in residential health care facilities, but the rate of increase has lessened, according to DSHS.

Family Help Phone Hotline

Call (888) 856-5691 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily with questions about long-term care and other DSHS facilities. Trained operators will field general questions related to State-licensed facilities affected by COVID-19. Operators can also offer current visitation restrictions and safety guidelines. Inquiries regarding specific client information will be triaged and transferred directly to the appropriate facility.



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Photo: Red veined leaves

Photo by Mike Remarcke

Anyone care to identify this beauty?



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Shoreline resident publishes memoir of An Untethered Boyhood

Me and the Cottonwood Tree: An Untethered Boyhood
by Herb Bryce - with Anna Katz


Chock-full of unbelievable stories, Me and the Cottonwood Tree will enchant readers with the hilarious misadventures of young Herb growing up during some of the most pivotal times in America.

From getting stuck in the family outhouse, to buying a donkey as a pet, to creating a giant fireball out of burning Christmas trees, you'll be taken along for a wild ride full of hysterical stories of Herb growing up through some of America's most influential moments in history.

Set in Arizona and California from 1933 to 1950, this is the story of one boy's untethered childhood. Herb Bryce grew up as part of a large Mormon family, moving frequently from town to town and house to house. In each new home, Herb learns valuable lessons . . . and often gets into heaps of mischief along the way.

Jump back to a time when kids were given freedom not often allowed to children today - roaming fields and forests, having adventures, and learning about how to create adventure right outside your door.


Herb Bryce

Biography

Herb Bryce is retired/emeritus, Seattle Central College, where he was Dean of Science and Mathematics and taught Chemistry. 

Herb has lived in Shoreline for the past forty years, where he has been an active member of his local community. 

He is one of the cofounders of the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council. Served on Shoreline School Board; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Board: also the One-Percent for the Arts.

His philosophy is that service is the rent we pay for living.




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Photo: Peppa goes for a stroll

Photo by Seattle Poppy


Six month old Peppa the Pig goes for a stroll in Hamlin Park. Pigs love to browse the foliage and explore the neighborhood and they seem to be great escape artists.

There are two that live in my neighborhood and escape so often that there's a neighborhood network to spot them, figure out which one it is, corral the pig and notify the owner.

Peppa, however, is enjoying the quarantine by getting a walk in the park.

I imagine that her owner got caught up on Instagram, Facebook, and had time for a couple of Zoom conferences while Peppa meandered.

--Diane Hettrick


 

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COVID-19 case updates April 17, 2020

177 King county residents over 80 have died from COVID-19
84 between the ages of 70-79 have died
34 aged 68-69 have died


Public Health Seattle and King county reports 93 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths since yesterday.

King county:
  • 4902 positive results - up 93
  • 331 have died of the illness -  up 11
Shoreline:
  • 222 have positive results
  • 27 have died due to illness, 
Lake Forest Park:
  • 21 have positive results
  • 0 have died due to illness
State:
  • 11445 have positive results - up 293
  • 603 have died due to illness


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Shoreline Arts Festival 2020 cancelled

In light of the current stay-at-home orders, and what we perceive to be an unlikely lifting of the ban on large events this summer, the Board and Staff of the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council have decided to cancel the Shoreline Arts Festival for 2020. 

The Arts Festival will be back in June 2021 bigger and better than ever, as we find ourselves (hopefully) on the other side of this pandemic and ready to celebrate creativity with our community again. Thank you for your continued support!

Some 2020 Festival activities like Youth Art and Juried Art will move online. If you're interested in registering your artwork for these events, please visit our Festival website for additional information. Updates regarding these activities will be posted soon.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for more virtual events coming soon from the Arts Council! We are committed to the idea that Creativity Can't be Quarantined, and have some new (social distancing approved) creative outlets coming to the community this spring and summer.

The Shoreline Arts Festival is a program of the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council with major support from the City of Shoreline, City of Lake Forest Park, Jack Malek Realtor, Alaska Airlines, and 4Culture.

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.

--Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council



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Wildflower bloom

Friday, April 17, 2020

Photo by Don Warrick


A carpet of wildflowers covers the ground at Meridian Park Elementary school, taking advantage of the pandemic closures.

All it needs is a mountain in the background. Maybe some Swiss singers.




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Executive Constantine proposes Harborview bond measure for November ballot

Harborview Adult Clinic
Photo courtesy UW Medicine


King County Executive Dow Constantine transmitted legislation to the King County Council Thursday that would place a capital improvement bond measure before King County voters on the November 2020 General Election ballot.

The measure seeks voter approval of $1.74 billion in general obligation bond funding over 20 years for health and safety improvements at King County’s Harborview Medical Center, including: increasing critical health care capacity; updating and expanding infection control capability; and expanding capacity for behavioral health services.

“This is our generational obligation - to ensure our region continues to be the best place in the country to receive emergency medical care. There are a lot of competing needs – this is one where we are compelled to step up. It is a priority we must not postpone and cannot ignore,” said Executive Constantine.

Harborview is a 413-licensed bed hospital owned by King County and operated by University of Washington Medicine. Harborview Medical Center is home to a range of critical medical and behavioral health services.

The medical center combines state-of-the-art emergency medical services with general medicine and specialty clinics including centers of excellence in burn, neurosciences, ophthalmology, infectious disease, rehab therapy.

One of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, and the only Level 1 Trauma Center serving Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Washington, Harborview employs about 5,400 people.

In 2018:

  • 16,716 patients were admitted 
  • 57,516 visited the Emergency Department
  • 262,132 were seen on an outpatient basis


Although the proposal does not seek to increase the number of state licensed hospital beds for Harborview, it enables much more efficient use of those beds by creating more single occupancy rooms. It also ensures greater flexibility for Harborview to surge in the event of a disaster, mass casualty event, or pandemic.

Because of facility configuration and capacity constraints, every day an estimated 50 of the 413 licensed beds are unusable due to infection control protocols. 

This means that patients awaiting an acute care bed are kept in expensive ICU beds or surgical recovery rooms, which can impact length of stay for patients.

It also means that vital surge capacity – the ability to house more patients in the event of an emergency like COVID-19 – is severely limited.

With more single occupancy rooms and larger Emergency Department, Harborview would be better able to serve patients, particularly during a disaster or pandemic.

Trauma patients from Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and most of the north Sound area are taken to Harborview.



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Dept of Health / Seattle King county case updates April 16, 2020


Stay home, stay healthy: Our physical distancing efforts are working to slow COVID-19 transmission. However, any changes to the stay at home orders will need to happen gradually to make sure that we don’t see a rebound in the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 or the number of deaths.

Data Dashboard HERE

Shoreline:
  • 220 have positive results
  • 26 have died due to illness
Lake Forest Park:
  • 21 have positive results
  • 0 have died due to illness 
State: 
  • 11,152 have positive results (up 369) 
  • 583 have died due to illness


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Yoga position #64 Downward duck

Photo by Gloria Z Nagler

(Saw this Mallard crouched on the railing, and started shooting...I think he's tracking the movement of a bug:)
--Gloria Z Nagler


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Shoreline Fire and Police thank healthcare workers at Northwest


Photos courtesy Shoreline Fire

Shoreline Fire and Shoreline Police know firsthand how important healthcare workers are. Fire and police are the first line of response - then they hand off to the healthcare workers.

It's a community team.



So Police and Fire know how busy and stressful their jobs are, and how hard they are working to continue to excel under the current pandemic conditions.



Personnel from Shoreline Police and Fire went to Northwest Hospital Thursday at shift change from 3 - 4pm and lined the outside walkway holding signs of appreciation.




They applauded the workers as they came through, those leaving after a long shift and those heading in to a long shift.

And we in the community applaud and thank them all - healthcare workers, fire, police and all those serving us and doing their best to keep us safe and well. Thank you!




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Citizen input needed for design of 148th pedestrian bridge

A new pedestrian bridge will connect west side neighborhoods
to the new Sound Transit station and bus hub on the east


From the City of Shoreline

With the arrival of Sound Transit light rail and the new Shoreline South/145th Station for light rail and bus transit, the City of Shoreline is finding ways to connect people to the station safely and efficiently.

A new pedestrian and bike crossing over I-5 at N 148th Street will strengthen those connections.

Public input is essential to the design of the bridge and how it connects to the neighborhoods on the east and west sides of I-5. 

During this time of social distancing, we are working to ensure staff and public safety while continuing to move this and other projects forward.

We’d like to invite you to participate in two online events where you can learn about and provide input on the N 148th Street Non-Motorized Bridge Project.

Online Open House and Survey 

Please visit our online open house, open April 10 through May 1, at: 148thbridge.infocommunity.org

You'll be able to:
  • Learn more about the project.
  • See the design concepts we’re considering.
  • Provide feedback.
We hope you take this opportunity to share your feedback with us. We look forward to hearing from you. For more information about the project, please visit shorelinewa.gov/148thbridge.

Webinar

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2020
Time: 12:00 – 1:00pm

This online presentation will provide information on the design options we’re considering for the bridge, how it connects to the station on the east side of I-5, and how it connects to the neighborhoods on the west side of I-5. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions of the project team.

To register, please go to the online open house, 148thbridge.infocommunity.org. A webinar registration link will be posted on the home page.

To request interpretation in another language or accommodations for persons with disabilities, please complete your registration by April 15, 2020.

The webinar will be recorded and posted on the online open house page after it takes place.




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Lane closures on 185th overpass for City Light work

NE 185th freeway overpass
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
Over the next several days there will be intermittent closures of the lanes on the NE 185th freeway overpass.

Sound Transit has suspended work but Seattle City Light is continuing with essential work for the Lynnwood Light Rail project.

They will be installing steel poles in the vicinity.

Work will be done from 9am to 3pm and is expected to be noisy because of a vacuum truck used for the project.

There will be a lane open to cross the freeway and flaggers will direct traffic.




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Corrections announces plans for prisoner release

Monroe Correctional Complex By SounderBruce 
Wikimedia Commons

 
The Washington State Department of Corrections is planning for the transfer of incarcerated individuals back to their communities. 

The goal in transferring a limited number of individuals to the community is to provide more Physical Distancing within the state’s correctional facilities.

The Department is implementing strategies to reduce the population in state correctional facilities, while also considering public safety. 

The strategies focus on individuals who are not currently incarcerated for violent or sex offenses and nearing the end of their incarceration.

It will be confirmed by correctional staff that individuals transferring to the community will have an established address and a current Washington State identification, and that the current sentence being served is for non-violent or drug/alcohol related offenses.

Emergency Commutation
On April 15, 2020, Governor Inslee issued an emergency commutation (pdf) to allow for the release of incarcerated individuals. The commutation (pdf) is specific to those in custody whose judgment and sentences include only non-violent offenses or drug or alcohol offenses and whose projected release date (PRD) is prior to or on June 29, 2020. It authorizes their transfer from confinement within seven days of the order, or as soon as can be reasonably achieved thereafter.

Rapid Reentry
In addition to the Governor’s commutation, based on Governor’s Proclamation 20-50 Reducing Prison Population (pdf), Secretary Sinclair will take additional measures to provide more physical distancing. The Rapid Reentry program (pdf) allows incarcerated individuals an opportunity to serve an expanded portion of their sentence of confinement in the community on electronic monitoring (up to six months). 

Individuals are subject to their conditions of supervision and, if they violate those conditions, could be returned to confinement. Individuals are included who meet the Centers for Disease Control guidelines of those at higher risk for health complications related to COVID-19.

Emergency Furlough
By the statutory furlough authority granted to Secretary Sinclair, he will be granting emergency furloughs (pdf) to those incarcerated individuals in work release settings, as established through careful legal advisement and statutory reviews. Furlough means an authorized leave of absence for an eligible individual, without any requirement that the individual be accompanied by, or be in the custody of, any corrections official while on such leave. Furloughed individuals are subject to their conditions of furlough and, if they violate those conditions, could be returned to confinement.

The steps being taken this week represent the latest work in the agency’s diligent efforts to preserve the health of institutions and all people – staff and incarcerated individuals.



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Home sales in Shoreline during March 2020

The following are properties that sold in Shoreline during the month of March 2020. Data compiled for the Shoreline Area News by the Shoreline Windermere office.







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Improv Happy Hour Friday at 7pm



Improv Happy Hour
Improv Experiments 4/17 7:00pm

This Friday at 7pm Unexpected Productions presents an Improv Happy Hour. This is a wildly unpredictable hour were we strive to translate classic improv games online and create new ones. It has never been seen before and will never be seen again. This week's theme: couples.

Fortunately, we at UP have improvisers who are couples or roommates who live together. Each couple performs a scene, or game from a suggestion and give you a glimpse into domestic life around Seattle as it may be happening for real, or in the minds of the improvisers as we all social distance.

Free and open to all! 4/17 7pm

NOTE: This is LIVE event on UP’s Facebook page Go to videos and click the Live event streaming



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Thursday's flower

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Photo by Steven H. Robinson


Delicate, fuzzy lavender bells bow gracefully to the ground.




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Shoreline deputies catch a burglar

Deputies arrested a burglar who broke
into the Food Mart on Richmond Beach Rd
Early Wednesday morning, April 8, 2020 around 1:45am, officers were dispatched to the Shell Gas Station at the 600 Block NW of Richmond Beach RD for a report of a suspicious person. 

Via video surveillance, the caller saw the person attempting to get into the closed business through a window.

Once deputies arrived on scene they located an open window and saw items had been ransacked inside. 

While waiting for a K9 to respond, deputies reviewed surveillance video of the suspect who they determined had actually broken into the location and fled prior to their arrival.

At about 2am, Deputy Brookens located a 49 year old male who matched the description of the suspect near N Richmond Beach Rd and Dayton Ave N. 

Once Deputy Brookens compared a surveillance photo of the suspect to the person he had stopped, he arrested the man without incident.

During a search of the suspect, deputies located just over $200 worth of merchandise he had stolen from the store prior to fleeing.

The suspect was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of burglary.



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Support Students and Families in the Shoreline Rotary 30-day Challenge!


Between now and May 15th, Shoreline Rotary will match dollar for dollar up to $3,000 in contributions for gift cards that will go to students and families in need throughout the Shoreline School District.

These gift cards provide flexible spending support so critical during these times. This campaign is made possible through a partnership between Shoreline PTA Council 6.12, Shoreline School District and Embrace Shoreline Schools.

Equitable distribution of gift cards is facilitated through the Family Advocates at each school. The Advocates identify vulnerable students and families so that the gift cards reach those in greatest need.

Donate today and have a direct impact on the lives of those needing a little extra support during this difficult time. Your donation matters!




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Home sales in Lake Forest Park during March 2020

The following are properties that sold in Lake Forest Park during the month of March 2020. Data compiled for the Shoreline Area News by the Shoreline Windermere office.






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College offers online continuing education class on wine


Online Class! A Sensory Introduction to Wine: A Precursor to Food and Wine Pairing

Are you a casual wine drinker looking to take your interest to the next level? 

Learn about the components of wine, the anatomy of the human sensory receptors, and assess wine styles in this online class. 

Facilitator Reggie Daigneault, a wine educator for 20+ years, is certified with the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. 

Join her for this fun and informative class that will help you identify varietal wines and their components while you learn in your own home! 




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Shoreline couple featured in Seattle Times story

Joyce Lingerfelt
file photo
From The Seattle Times

"Garry and Joyce Lingerfelt want very much to get out of their Shoreline condo and walk with their dog Hillary during these days of social distancing. 
"But like a lot of neighborhoods, theirs lacks sidewalks along many streets."

No surprise to us.

Joyce and Garry are long time volunteers for the Ballinger Neighborhood Association and walk on 25th by Brugger's Bog.

25th has no sidewalks and very little room on each side of the road. It runs from one busy street to another. NE 205th on the county line to Ballinger Way SR104.

Still, they do what they can to stay active.

They walk twice a day, heading to Brugger's Bog.

But getting to the park, which requires walking along streets that don’t have sidewalks, “is a little dicey,” Garry said, and it’s “uncomfortable to see how close cars come to people.” 
“This neighborhood is not set up for walking,” he said. “Sidewalks would be a huge help, for starters. And crosswalks.”

Are you walking more during the coronavirus pandemic? Here’s what people are noticing and what they say can be improved

--Diane Hettrick



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Shoreline School District donates 1,400 masks to local medical facilities

Shoreline Schools collected and donated all their masks


In an effort to support the safety of healthcare workers on the frontlines of fighting this pandemic, the maintenance, food service and warehouse teams at the Shoreline School District located and collected over 1,400 masks that will be donated to local medical facilities treating COVID-19 patients.



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Laptops and food for Shoreline Schools students

Laptops being handed out to students
Photo by Steven H. Robinson


By Diane Hettrick

Last week Steve Robinson was checking on the Shoreline Isolation and Recovery Center when he saw that there were stations at the Shoreline Center on 1st Ave NE to distribute laptops to students.

Now that the rest of the school year will take place online, school districts are working to get curricula online and to make sure that students have the laptops they need for learning.

Shoreline Center
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

It wasn't very busy when Steve went by but they were prepared to maintain Physical Distanting.

Families who needed laptops for their children submitted requests, then drove to pick them up last Wednesday.

Parkwood Elementary
Photo by Steven H. Robinson
 

Families needing food were able to pick up a bag of food at the same time. Parkwood Elementary at 155th and Meridian had both as well as a line of cars.

The laptops are ChromeBooks, student edition, with hard cases.




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Agenda for Shoreline City Council meeting April 20

Shoreline City Hall
Photo by Mike Remarcke

The Agenda for the Shoreline City Council’s April 20, 2020 meeting includes the following:

Action Item 8(a)

Approval of Grant Requests from the Dale Turner YMCA in the Amount of $15,000 and from the Shoreline PTA Council in the Amount of $15,000 from the COVID-19 Community Emergency Response Grant Program

Study Item 9(a)

Discussing the 2019 Year-End Financial Report

This report is provided to keep the City Council informed of the financial issues and the financial position of the City as the first year of its first biennial budget is completed.

Study Item 9(b)

Discussing Ordinance No. 886 - Amending the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget (Ordinance Nos. 841, 852, 854, 855, 861, 872 & 883)

Adoption of proposed Ordinance No. 886 impacts appropriations.

Staff is requesting that the 2019-2020 biennial budget be amended to provide funding for programs and projects that require additional funding due to unanticipated needs.

Pursuant to Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 20-28, in an effort to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the City Council’s Regular Meetings scheduled March 24 through April 23 will take place online using the Zoom platform and the public will not be allowed to attend in-person. You may watch a live feed of the meeting online or listen to it over the telephone. Council is providing opportunities for public comment by submitting written comment or calling into the meeting to provide oral testimony.



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Rob Oxford: Radio Killed the Radio Star

Rockfish during his early days at KISW with a visitor from Japan


By Rob Oxford

At first glance this will appear to be nothing more than a disgruntled former radio personality complaining about losing his job. 

However, I implore you to look deeper into my message. I racked up 30 years of great memories in the business and when I was recently let go from iHeart Media, unlike some of my fellow employees who were caught totally off guard and suddenly faced with the prospect of having to choose different careers, I was actually relieved. I had been ready and waiting for the axe.

Just call this my “Jerry Maguire” moment.

I had given my two weeks’ notice about three months prior but was encouraged to “hang on a little while longer.” I was told I was “a valuable asset to the company” and although they couldn’t offer me any more money, promises were made of opportunities to voice-track for stations in different markets, thus enabling me to make a few more dollars.

Given that prospect, I withdrew my resignation and decided to kick the can down the road for a few more months. However, I should have realized the end was near when at a company function, the Regional Vice President told me radio was changing and “you don’t want to be in this business full time.”

Well, The End Is Here.

Now I still have many friends in the industry, so I don’t expect them to side with me or even share their opinions. They have families to consider and many hope to continue their careers in broadcasting. For that I have great respect and for their sake I hope the industry is able to support their needs a while longer.

When I started as an intern at KISW in late 1989, the frequency was FM100 and the slogan was “Seattle’s Best Rock.” With the digital age it became 99.9 KISW and is now “The Rock of Seattle”. Some may argue successfully that it is now and probably has been for a while, the “ONLY” rock of Seattle.

In fact, since being laid off I’ve been listening to KISW more now than I had for the past 10 years. I am a loyalist and I felt obligated to support my former employer. Even though I grew extremely weary of hearing the same 200 (if that many) songs over and over every day.

I don’t profess to know much about the inner workings of the corporate radio world, it was never my thing. I also never wanted to be a manager, salesman or an executive. I was more than happy being a personality. So, when it comes to research, marketing, promotion and ultimately The Playlist, I am literally in the dark.

All I know is what I like and what listeners who’ve been a part of my circle for eons tell me they like and, believe me, very few have ever said; “Rockfish, even though the Rolling Stones have 30 studio albums, 28 live albums and 26 compilation albums, I love the fact that you play the same 5 songs every week. You guys are awesome!”

However, what they do ask is "Why don't you ever play any of the new music from your core artists?" and "When did the band Modern English become Classic Rock?" Just two of the many questions I am ill-equipped to answer.

I grew up loving music and making people laugh. Radio was where the two collided.

The moment I stepped foot into the studios at 712 Aurora Ave N. my whole life changed. Initially as a research intern, I quickly endeared myself to management and the on-air talent. After my fellow interns had gone home for the evening I would stick around just to answer the phones. Remember when you could call a radio station and speak to an actual person under the guise of making a request?

I would also file the records that had been played for the disc jockey presently on air. Yes, when I started, we actually played records.

Additionally, I would spend hours in the production studio recording funny bits. I’ll never forget the day they aired the first parody commercial I ever recorded. For someone hoping to enter the world of broadcasting, hearing your voice on the air for the very first time is quite exciting, I can assure you.

I also started doing segues (the smooth transition from one song to the next) for a certain announcer who every so often needed to step outside for a smoke. I would find reasons to enter the on-air studio in the hopes he was having a nicotine fit. That was the best. Not only did I get to sit in the “air chair,” but he paid me. Usually a dollar a segue. I could now consider myself a “paid” professional and I did.

It wasn’t long after that I was operating the studio mixing console for live remotes and special programming. I still hadn’t done my first official “on-air shift,” but that was soon to come.

I remember getting a call one morning at about 2am from our Program Director asking if I could do a shift? I literally screamed “of course I can!” After all, I had been practicing doing an actual radio show for months. Recording intros, reading the news, faking phone calls from listeners and then asking the other jocks to critique my work.

The Midnight to 6am talent had not reported for his shift and the person currently on the air was tired and not about to do a double. At the time I lived just across the street from the studio and in about 10 minutes I was dodging cars and knocking on the door. Was I nervous? Hell yes!

As soon as I sat down, the Hotline rang. It was the boss telling me to take a deep breath and just “keep us on the air”. I did… and it was a total rush.

That night I had established myself as a reliable resource for the company and it wasn’t long before the weekend overnight shift was mine. Mind you, it didn’t hurt at all that I had already begun singing Twisted Tunes for the morning show and that I could smack the crap out of a softball for the station softball team.

The next several months, perhaps years, are a complete blur. So much happened in such a very short time. I began taking on more fill-in shifts, picking up rock stars at the airport, handing out stickers at concerts and I had been christened “Rockfish” by my then roommate, who was a member of the morning show. It was also the early 90’s and the dam was about to break. The eyes of the rock-n-roll world were fixed on Seattle.

Just about every weekend we were seeing little local bands at small venues and thinking nothing of it. Bands like Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana and Mother Love Bone who became Mookie Blaylock who became Pearl Jam. You know, just little local bands.

I’m not exactly sure when I became the host of Metal Shop but for years I put my heart and soul into that program. For two hours every Saturday Night I got to play whatever the hell I wanted. If memory serves, I was the first jock in Seattle, possibly on the West Coast, to play Stone Temple Pilots “Sex Type Thing.” Seattle was the epicenter of what was happening, the center of the Grunge (I’ve always despised that term, to me it was just rock) Universe. If it flew in Seattle, it would fly anywhere.

I could write volumes about my days as KISW’s Metal Director and maybe some day I will. I met so many great bands, both local and national acts. But what I got most out of hosting that program was the connection I established with my audience. A connection that would follow me for the next 25 years.

You see, I was the kid at 10 and 11 years old who called the local radio station on Saturday Mornings. Sometimes over and over. I would disguise my voice and request the same song two or three times in an attempt to fool the Disc Jockey. Of course I didn't realize it then, but they knew it was me and they were always gracious in their response. From the moment I hosted my very first shift, I swore I would do my best to answer every single call that came into the studio and offer the same consideration.

I took requests, answered trivia questions, wished people Happy Birthday, offered condolences to family members of loved ones who had recently passed and made dedications ala Casey Kasem, I did it all. I even talked to people for hours who were depressed and just needed someone to listen.

That doesn’t happen anymore. How can it when there’s no one in a studio, no one picking up the request line. How can it when the person you're listening to recorded their shift the day before from 3000 miles away and then “mailed it in”?

That’s what they call in the business “voice tracking” and it’s done more than you are probably aware.

That’s why you no longer hear local content. You no longer hear about local events. You no longer get that “personal touch” from your announcer. Nor will you hear where your favorite local bands are playing or the score of the football game that ended three hours ago. The jock who’s now on the air most likely recorded his shift three hours before that game even started.

Hell, 20 years ago I’d announce the location of your garage sale if you wanted. How much more local can you get?

Of course, the company never made any money off of those little plugs, but what they did make was a listener for life most likely.

There’s so much more I could say about the radio business today, but quite frankly it doesn’t matter. Terrestrial Radio is on its last legs. Something most of the professionals will admit. Digital Services, Streaming, Online Content, YouTube Channels, Spotify, even the Smart Speaker has replaced the Radio Announcer. Simply ask Alexa, she'll tell you who recorded the song “Spirit In The Sky” and what year it was released.

I will fully admit to being disappointed that radio has changed so drastically. For many years it had been my companion, my friend, my “mood changer” and when it is finally gone for good, I will miss it terribly.

I remember in 1980 getting on a Greyhound Bus for a trip to see my good friend Butch get married in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He picked me up at the station in Nashville and the first question I asked was; “What radio station do you listen to?” He replied “I don’t listen to the radio.”

That was one of the longest weekends of my life.



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