Whitman county moves to Phase 2; clarifications for golfers in Phase 1

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Nine counties are moving to Phase 2


Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved the variance application for Whitman County to move into Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan. This brings the total to 9 counties.

The Department of Health is issuing multiple guidance documents for Phase 2 counties. King county is a Phase 1 county and still the epicenter for the state.

Guidance documents for golfers in Phase 1 counties includes approval of non-related foursomes:


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LFP Planning Commission slows down the Town Center Zoning Code update process

LFP Planning Commission
Photo courtesy City of Lake Forest Park

By Tracy Furutani

The Lake Forest Park Planning Commission decided to slow down the process of updating the zoning code for the LFP Town Center project at their meeting last Tuesday. 

“We made…the decision this evening to take this process slower, be more contemplative about it,” said Committee Chair Joel Paisner, “in light of the emergency before us.”

The decision was made in order to make sure the Commission’s process was clear to LFP residents, and to be able to gather public comment during the conditions imposed by the state “stay at home” order. 

At the same time, city staff, project consultants and the Commission will continue to explore various designs and alternatives for aspects of the Town Center project. Speaking on background, a commissioner said that work on planning for zoning changes had to continue under the conditions of the moratorium that the LFP City Council passed originally last year, and set to expire in September.

“While OTAK [the consulting firm] and our planning director have been working together to create these draft documents, the schedule and some draft language in this code that we’ll look at,” said Commission Vice-Chair Maddy Larson, 
“at the end of the day, the same as with the [ST3 parking] garage, we’ll make a decision on what language we support and what language we don’t support; this is just a starting place for our conversations.”

“We are working on the code that we’ve been working on for the last year plus,” said commissioner Richard Saunders, stressing that no new code was being presented for approval.
The sixteen written public comments presented at the beginning of the meeting were uniformly concerned about a perceived lack of sufficient opportunity for people to comment on the potential zoning code revisions. 

“I’m very glad that the community are paying attention,” said Larson. The Commission will ask the City Council to provide a Town Center process update to LFP residents.

LFP resident Randi Sibonga, who made one of the public comments at the meeting, said, “In making the decision last night to set its own timeline to fully study, deliberate and obtain citizen input on revisions to the Town Center code, our Planning Commission demonstrated its firm commitment to public engagement, transparency and the establishment of a development plan for the Town Center property that is consistent with the 2019 adopted Vision.”

In a separate move, Paisner said he would not continue as chair, and that the process of finding a new chair would begin at the next meeting.

The June 9 meeting of the Commission will consider height, density and setback issues, and the July 14 meeting will focus on open space, environmentally-friendly practices and storm drainage. All meetings are open to the public.



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Fence notes in Briarcrest

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Photo by David Walton

This is the fence around Briarcrest Elementary School in the Briarcrest neighborhood of Shoreline.

The sign is made of plastic Solo® cups, wedged in the fence openings.

It's an affirmation for the neighborhood meant to be seen by walkers and others passing by.




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Case updates - Shoreline Isolation Center is now inactive



Forty-one people are currently staying in King County isolation, quarantine and recovery facilities. None are currently in the Shoreline Isolation and Recovery Center and the staff's last day was Friday.

There have been 327 deaths in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities in King county. 49 of the deaths were in three facilities in Shoreline. One in Kenmore had 6 deaths.

Five other facilities either have patients that have tested positive and are in isolation while they recover or have tested patients because of exposure to a part-time or contract staff member who tested positive.

All facilities are being monitored by the county and all are following the guidance of county and state health authorities. Patients and staff have been tested and they have sufficient supplies.

United States
  • 1,412,121 known cases including 27,191 new cases
  • 85,990 including 2,043 new deaths
Washington state
  • 17591 known cases - up 178 from yesterday
  • 992 deaths
King county
  • 7360 known cases - up 59
  • 516 deaths - up 2
Shoreline
  • 333 known cases
  • 53 deaths
Lake Forest Park
  • 30 known cases
  • 0 deaths


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Travel delays on I-5 Tuesday near N 145th

Work will be done to the damaged center barrier


People traveling on Interstate 5 in Seattle and Shoreline should plan for weekday travel delays on Tuesday, May 19, while crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation make critical repairs along the freeway.

I-5 HOV lane closures at Seattle-Shoreline city limits 

WSDOT maintenance crews will repair the concrete barrier between northbound and southbound I-5 after it was damaged in a collision. To do this, they will need to access the location from the northbound and southbound HOV lanes.

Closure details
  • 5am to 3pm Tuesday, May 19.
  • Northbound and southbound I-5 HOV lanes closed near N 145th St.



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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Honor student





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Photos: Shoreline Fire tree rescue training

Scenario: an injured person in a tree
Simulated using a dummy


Photos by Steven H. Robinson

The Shoreline Fire Department held tree rescue training this week on the CRISTA campus.

Getting geared up


The scenario is how to get an injured person safely down from a tree.

One rescuer goes up to where the climber's gear is snagged
Another is positioned midway on the ladder


They held the same training on four days, Monday through Thursday, one day for each of the four shifts of fire department responders.

Another watches for problems 

Shoreline Fire, as well as all surrounding fire departments, trains constantly for all scenarios. Often their training is structured around what is available - a vacant building, a crushed car, and occasionally a house that can be burnt down!




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Dembowski delivers potatoes and onions to the Senior Center

County Councilmember Rod Dembowski and Senior Center
Director Theresa LaCroix with potatoes and onions
Photo courtesy Senior Center


King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski delivered 600 lbs of potatoes and onions to the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center through the USDA Program coordinated with Frog Farmer in Woodinville.

Center Executive Director Theresa LaCroix says "This helps keep our Community Dining program going to feed seniors staying home and staying safe!" 

The Senior Center is currently preparing, packing, and delivering hot meals on a daily basis and weekly bags of groceries with breakfast meals and staples for shut-in seniors.



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Jobs: City of Shoreline

City of Shoreline
Senior Surface Water Program Specialist

DEFINITION

Provide technical assistance, expertise and implementation of programs to assure City compliance with National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permits, including the current Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit requirements, and implementation of the City's Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) Plan.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the advanced journey level class within the Surface Water Program Specialist series. Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed, greater independence of work performed, and the complexity of duties assigned. Employees within this class perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within the series including responsibility for NPDES Permit compliance and reporting.

View the job announcement and apply



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State freezes hiring and makes plans to protect wildland firefighters

Gov. Inslee

Inslee issues directive to freeze hiring, personal service contracts and equipment purchases: 

Gov. Jay Inslee has issued a directive to executive and small cabinet agencies to freeze all hiring, personal service contracts and equipment purchases. The directive aims to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Washington's economy and financial outlook.

Exemptions from the directive will be granted if needed for filling vacancies in critical areas or personal service contracts or equipment purchases are necessary to continue critical service or operations.

The governor also calls upon higher education institutions, boards and commissions, and other separately elected officials to impose similar restrictions. The directive is effective May 18, 2020. Read the directive here.


2020 Wildland Fire Season: Warm, sunny days mark the beginning of the wildfire season as the grasslands and forests begin to dry out. The COVID-19 pandemic is an evolving situation that has not been encountered before in wildland fire management. Ongoing planning efforts and considerations for this wildfire season are taking place among state and local natural resource, forestry, and wildland fire officials.



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Face-covering directive goes into effect Monday for most - but not all

Photo by S Betnel
The King county directive to wear face coverings while in public goes into effect May 18 to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Health leaders are asking everyone to keep in mind that face coverings should not be worn by everyone and are committed to ensuring that individuals who are unable to safely wear face coverings are not harassed or discriminated against.

Those who are exempt from wearing a face covering include:

  • someone who has a physical disability that makes it difficult to easily wear or remove a face covering; 
  • someone who has been advised by a medical professional to not wear one; 
  • someone who has trouble breathing or cannot remove a face covering without assistance; or 
  • someone who is deaf and uses facial and mouth movements as part of communications.


In addition, 33,000 King County residents have an intellectual or developmental disability that could affect their ability to wear a face covering.

“Wearing a face covering is important; if you can, you should.

"It is also important to understand that some people cannot wear face coverings for health, sensory, or communication reasons. If you meet someone without a face covering, please give them grace. It is not always obvious who has a disability,” said Robin Tatsuda, Executive Director of The Arc of King County.

Photo provided by Diane Lindberg

Starting on May 18, most people who live in King County should wear face coverings in most public settings.

This includes buses and light rail, stores, and take-out restaurants – any place inside or outside where you may be within 6 feet of someone who does not live with you.

You do NOT have to use a face covering while walking, exercising, or otherwise being outdoors if you can stay 6 feet away from people who do not live with you. Face coverings can be cloth, scarves, or bandannas. They should cover the nose and mouth.

Some people need special medical-grade masks; please don’t use those if you don’t need to. They can be hard to find.



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Art works on the ground: painted rocks

Photo credits: Phyllis Johnson center top / bottom - in Lake Forest Park
Mary Appleby top left and right, bottom right - in Shoreline
Diane Lindberg - bottom left - Densmore Pathway in Shoreline


The streets are full of people walking and enjoying their neighborhoods. In return, neighbors are being creative about ways to entertain and amuse passersby.

One way we have already published: the chalk art on the streets (and sidewalks where we have them!). Here are some that we published

Another way is to paint rocks and leave them in natural spaces around the area. This has actually been around in a more formalized way for some time. I'm told there is a Facebook page where people post their finds, and rules, such as moving the rocks to a new location.

But during COVID-19 there are no rules. Just find and enjoy. And perhaps with all the free time you have, paint some of your own and find creative (but visible) places to leave them.

--Diane Hettrick



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Volunteers needed at the Senior Center

The Senior Center has need of volunteers for some specific and regular jobs. 

There are three positions:

  1. Cook's Assistant 9am - 11:30am Monday - Friday
  2. To Go Lunch Volunteer - 10:50am - 1pm Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday
  3. Runner - 10am - 12noon - Monday, Wednesday, or Friday

Job requirements: Between the ages of 18 and 64, able to work in a fast-paced environment, able to lift 30 pounds, and endless patience!

Descriptions are above. If you are interested in visiting the Center to see if you are a good match, call Theresa at 206-365-1536 after 1pm Monday - Friday.




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Shoreline Schools Superintendent announces staffing cuts


This letter is from Rebecca Miner, Superintendent of Shoreline Schools

Dear Shoreline Schools Families,

I am writing to you today to share some difficult news regarding our plan to address expected significant budget reductions due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The State of Washington is currently projecting a $7 billion reduction in tax revenue through 2023. Because state tax revenues account for roughly 75 percent of our school district’s funding, we expect our reduction in state funding to be considerable. Additionally, we are anticipating a possible reduction in student enrollment. Our current estimate is that we will need to cut $3.5 million to balance our budget for next school year.

In order to address the anticipated level of funding and enrollment reductions, I requested approval from our school board to reduce our staffing by up to 25 non-supervisory certificated full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and three certificated administrative FTE positions. Those reduction in force (RIF) resolutions were adopted at their May 4 school board meeting in order to meet the statutory deadline of May 15 to notify affected certificated employees as required by state law.

Without question, our staff are amazing and their work is critical to the success of our students and schools. Because of this, staffing reductions are always a last resort in addressing fiscal challenges. However, with nearly 88 percent of our school district’s budget allocated to salaries and benefits, there is simply no easy way to prepare for the level of reduced revenue we are likely facing without impacting our staffing levels.

Over the past two weeks, our leadership team has developed a staffing reduction plan and notified affected staff. We were able to minimize the number of RIF and layoff notifications by carefully tracking and accounting for retirements, resignations and vacancies. No non-supervisory certificated staff will be laid off, but some will be reassigned to vacant positions. Some administrative staff members were laid off as a result of administrative position reductions.

The position reductions and reassignments include the following:
  • A total of 24.4 non-supervisory certificated FTE positions will be absorbed/reduced through the following measures:
    • 8.9 FTE are being reassigned from positions that support learning outside of the classroom to vacant classroom positions (vacant through retirements, resignations and leave requests)
      • Reassigned positions include: 5.5 FTE Elementary Instructional Coach positions, 2.0 FTE High School Instructional Coach positions, and 1.4 Basic Education Teacher on Special Assignments (TOSA) positions.
    • 4.0 FTE are being reassigned from the closed overflow kindergarten programs at North City and Meridian Park to vacant positions in other schools
      • Reassigned positions include: 2.0 Dean positions, 1.0 Librarian and 1.0 Counselor positions
    • 7.5 vacant FTE are being reduced through increasing the staffing ratio for grades 6 - 12 from 25.1 students per teacher to 26.1 students per teacher (there is no change to K-5 staffing ratios)
    • 4.0 vacant FTE are being held pending enrollment
  • 4.0 FTE net reduction in administrative positions
    • 1.0 FTE Meridian Park Kindergarten Program Principal
    • 1.0 FTE North City Kindergarten Program Principal
    • 1.0 FTE Director of Assessment position
    • 1.0 FTE Children’s Center Director position
    • 1.0 FTE Director of Teacher Professional Practice and Evaluation position eliminated
    • New 1.0 FTE classified administrative position created to be responsible for a combination of responsibilities from two of the eliminated positions

We have made our best effort to prioritize these position eliminations to have the least impact on students and classrooms. Class size ratios will remain the same for grades K-5 (25.1 students per teacher) and increase by one in grades 6-12 (26.1 students per teacher). As is always the case, class sizes may be larger or smaller than those numbers, but when they are larger, additional instructional support is allocated to those classrooms.

This has been a thoughtful and detailed decision-making process, with every option scrutinized and evaluated to understand the impact on students, staff, schools and programs. The positions that have been reduced reflect a budgetary decision, not a reflection on the skills and contributions of the individuals or the responsibilities of the positions.

While the certificated positions are not the only place where cuts and efficiencies will be made, certificated staff are required to be notified by May 15 if their contract will not be renewed due to budget reductions. We have more work to do to balance our 2020-2021 school year budget. We will continue to review and consider additional budget and enrollment information and will communicate further decisions and any additional reductions.

These kinds of decisions are the worst part of any school leader’s job. I know the incredible value that each staff member brings to our school community and eliminating and reassigning positions is the very last thing any of us want to do. My thoughts continue to be with our staff, students and families as we navigate these challenging times. I know our community will come together to weather these challenges.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Miner
Superintendent



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No fire engine tours on Friday - back Saturday at 3pm

Friday, May 15, 2020

Photo by Dennis Terpstra
The firefighters will not be coming through your neighborhood Friday evening - no engines were available for the tour.

But they expect to be out on Saturday, starting at 3pm.

Listen for loud music and sirens and go outside and wave!




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Thursday's sunset

Sunset over Puget Sound
Photo by Mary Igl


Spectacular, eh?




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Fraudulent unemployment claims

The Seattle Times reports:

Washington state officials said Thursday they’re stopping unemployment payments for two days while they attempt to block a gush of fraudulent claims aimed at stealing some of the billions of dollars that Congress directed to workers left jobless amid the coronavirus pandemic. 
Between March and April, the number of fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits jumped 27-fold to 700, the state Employment Security Department (ESD) told The Seattle Times. During that same period, the amount of money bled off by suspected fraudsters jumped from about $40,000 to nearly $1.6 million.

The Employment Security department advises you to go to their website and make a report HERE

The King County Sheriff's Office is seeing the rise in fraud reports related to unemployment claims:

Reports of fraudulent unemployment claims continue to come in at an alarming rate. In the past 24 hours, 135 reports of ID theft have been filed on our online system and that does not include reports forwarded to other agencies.
So here is a reminder: If someone uses your identity to file a fraudulent unemployment claim, and you live in the King County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction or any of our contract cities, make a report online at reporttosheriff.org. Select "Identity Theft" as the crime you are reporting.



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86 new cases but no deaths in King county yesterday from COVID-19


As of May 14, 2020 there are 17,773 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, an increase of 261 cases in the last 24 hours. 

Visit  the Department of Health's website for cases by county, demographics, and more.

United States
  • 1,384,930 known cases, an increase of 20,869 New Cases since yesterday
  • 83,947 people have died, an increase of 1,701 New Deaths in 24 hours
Washington state
  • 17,773 known cases an increase of 261
  • 983 deaths, an increase of 8 in 24 hours
King county
  • 7307 known cases, an increase of 86
  • 514 deaths - none in the previous 24 hours



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Inspirational sign

Photo by Donna Hawkey


At the corner of 47th and 184th Ave. A bit weathered from the rain. 



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Filing for positions on 2020 ballots ends at 4pm Friday

Filing for positions on 2020 ballots ends at 4pm Friday at the Secretary of State’s office in Olympia and through the state and King County elections websites.

Through Thursday, three local incumbent Democratic state legislators had one opponent each; they other is unopposed.

In the 32nd Legislative District, Democratic State Rep. Lauren Davis is unopposed, and Rep. Cindy Ryu faces fellow Democrat Keith Smith, who lost to Ryu and a Republican in the 2018 primary.

In the 46th District, Democratic Rep. Gerry Pollet faces Republican Eric J. Brown of Seattle, and Democratic Rep. Javier Valdez faces Republican Beth Daranciang, also from northeast Seattle.

Candidates for state representative in the 32nd Legislative District and candidates for any statewide or other multi-county office file at the secretary of state’s office in Olympia or online.

Candidates for state representative in the 46th District or for any office involving only King County file online.

Not on this year’s ballot are Democratic State Sens. Jesse Salomon in the 32nd District and David Frockt in the 46th.

Candidates for Democratic and Republican precinct committee officer in every precinct in King County file at the county elections website. Candidates for Democratic PCOs who filed on Monday or Tuesday will need to refile.

While the county elections office is closed this week, the secretary of state’s office is open for in-person filing.

--Evan Smith



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Echo Lake visitors exhibit proper physical distancing

Photo by Hitomi Dames


Hitomi Dames photographed these visitors at Echo Lake Park, exhibiting appropriate physical distancing as they kept an eye on the lake.

Crow and red-winged blackbird.




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Search and Rescue volunteers educate hikers

SAR volunteers at trail head
Photo courtesy KCSO

On May 9 and 10, King County Sheriff’s Deputies and King County Search and Rescue volunteers contacted over 1,000 hikers in an education and risk mitigation effort at popular trail heads in King County.

Several deputies and SAR volunteers met hikers at numerous trail heads in King County to distribute information focused on preparedness before hiking. 

Deputies and volunteers stressed the importance of packing essential items, even on day hikes, and filing a hiking plan with a reliable friend or relative.

King County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Jason Stanley noted, 

“It is concerning how many SAR missions we get each year where nobody knows where the hikers were going and what time they are expected to return. 
"We get so many hikers who rely solely on the flashlight in the mobile phones in the event of darkness. Hikers need to prepare for what is possible, not just probable.”

Deputies and volunteers distributed information, whistles, first aid kits, and friendly greetings at the trailheads including, Mt. Si, Little Si, Mt. Teneriffe, and Mailbox Peak.

In their education efforts, deputies also noted that many hikers were parking in restricted areas and still hiking trails that are currently closed, like Rattlesnake Ledge. 

Hikers are reminded to legally park and only hike where it is authorized.




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KCSO: Do you recognize this woman?

North City Safeway


From the King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO)


On February 4, 2020 a 2015 Black Mercedes C300 was recovered from the Shell Station in Lynnwood and towed to Kenmore. The car was stolen from NW 39th St and 1st Ave NW in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood.

In the vehicle was a receipt from the North City Safeway at NE 175th and 15th NE in Shoreline with a time/date stamp 12 hours after the vehicle was stolen. The female shown above purchased some items and was caught on camera.

If anyone has information on who the female is they are asked to call the King County Sheriff's Office at 206-296-3311 reference case #C20004465 or you can leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at P3tips.com.



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Friday is the last day to legally have studded tires on your vehicles

Friday is the last day for studded tires

The arrival of spring typically means drivers in Washington have until March 31 to remove studded tires.

However, this year the Washington State Department of Transportation twice extended the deadline to Friday, May 15, due to COVID-19 virus concerns and Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Healthy, Stay Home order to help reduce the spread of the virus by limiting social interactions.

WSDOT is not extending the May 15 deadline.

Studded tires damage pavement, so removing them promptly after winter has passed helps preserve state roadways.

Other states may have different studded tire removal dates, but the Washington law applies to all drivers in the state, even visitors. No personal exemptions or waivers are issued.

The May 15 deadline means that starting at midnight on Saturday, May 16, drivers with studded tires face a $136 fine.



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Third Place Books now has curb side pick ups for your orders


Third Place Books, which has been taking phone and online orders and shipping them to customers (free for orders over $25), has now added curbside pickup.

Orders placed online or over the phone are available for curbside delivery.

The Lake Forest Park store (they have three locations) is on the upper level of Town Center on the Ballinger Way side. 17171 Bothell Way NE. Lake Forest Park. 206-366-3333

It is wonderful to be back, even in this limited capacity, and we are looking forward to finding new ways to serve you now that we're here.

If you need a recommendation they have booksellers standing by waiting to help you find the next great read for you or a loved one. Call them at 206-366-3333.



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Flowers: Lewisia in the back yard

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Lewisia CotyledonFlower and photo by Dale Bauer


Lewisia is a plant genus, named for explorer Meriwether Lewis, who encountered the species in 1806. The native habitat of Lewisia species is north facing cliffs in western North America.

Local Native Americans ate the roots, which have also been used to treat sore throats.

--Dale Bauer




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Photos: Yes, deer





These hooligans were out reclaiming the land just a couple of blocks from the Shoreline library (170th and 8th Ave NE) on Monday during my morning walk. Quite an unexpected surprise.

--Stephanie Lizotte



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Agenda Shoreline council meeting May 18

By Pam Cross

The May 18, 2020 Council meeting will include the following:

Public Hearing

Action Item 7(a) Public Hearing and Approving Community Development Block Grant Funding to Hopelink in the Amount of $188,739 and Lake City Partners in the Amount of $15,000 in Response to the COVID- 19 Emergency

The Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, created under HUD Title 1 in 1974, provides federal support to local jurisdictions. Of that, the Coronavirus Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocated $190,338 in CDBG-CV funds for the City of Shoreline. Additionally, Shoreline has access to an additional $32,435 in repaid home repair loans. King County manages administration of the funds and will retain $19,034; providing a total of $203,739 to allocate to eligible programs.

Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the allocation of CDBG-CV and reprogrammed CDBG funding to Hopelink (for financial assistance) in the amount of $188,739 and Lake City Partners (for hotel vouchers) in the amount of $15,000.

Study Item 8(a)1 Discussing the State Route 522/NE 145th Street Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit Project

Sound Transit (ST) is transitioning from Phase 2 to Final Design/Phase 3 of SR 522/NE 145th BRT project. Staff will brief Council on the project’s progress, highlight main changes to the design, and identify next steps toward project implementation.

8(b)2 Discussion of Ordinance No. 889 - Amending Chapter 10.05 SMC, the Model Traffic Ordinance, for Clarity and to Establish a City Monetary Penalty for Parking Violations

Anticipating the increased demand for on-street parking resulting from the start of light rail service and increased density around the light rail stations, proposed Ordinance No. 889 will increase the minimum parking violation monetary penalty from $20 to $50 to cover administrative costs and provide revenue to support a parking enforcement program.



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Call to Artists: Virtual Juried Art Show

Photograph by Tracy Carson titled "Daybreak"


Call to Artists: Virtual Juried Art Show
2020 Shoreline Arts Festival (Online)
Presented by the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council

The 2020 Shoreline Arts Festival at Shoreline Community College has been cancelled, but we are bringing the much loved Juried Art Exhibit online this year. Supporting local artists is our key mission; and through this Covid-19 pandemic, we plan on doing just that – continue to cultivate creativity and inspire our community through the arts.

The artwork will be featured online only starting June 8 – July 31, 2020. People’s Choice Award voting will take place on the planned festival weekend of Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th. We will live stream broadcast the awards ceremony at 6pm on Sunday, June 28th, 2020. A total of $850 will be awarded this year!

Enter online at CaFE

Entry Deadline: 5/25/2020

Visit website for a full prospectus and the online registration form.

REGISTRATION AND FEE
  • Non-refundable entry fee (only $10 per piece this year due to online show only):
  • $10 for 1 artwork; $20 for 2; $30 for 3
  • Limit 3 entries per person/per category
  • Entry fee must be paid at the time of registration
All applications must be submitted online through CaFE

CATEGORIES
  • 2-D Artwork (included, but not limited to paintings, drawings, prints, collage, mixed media, etc.) and
  • 3-D Artwork (included, but not limited to sculpture, glass, wood, clay, fiber, etc.)
  • Photography
If you have any questions about this event, feel free to email Lisa at gallery@shorelinearts.net.

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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Photo: A bird - a plane

Photo by Mike Remarcke


A sleek and elegant airplane in the skies over Shoreline. Its registration number reveals it to be a Boeing 737-852 with AEROMEXICO markings and owned by Wells Fargo Bank.



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Jazz Vespers Sunday with Jean Chaumont: The unknown, world-renowned jazz guitarist in Lake Forest Park

By Lorenzo Chiodo

If you’re looking for quality live jazz in the North Seattle area, you may find it in an unorthodox place: the Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church.

The Lake Forest Park and Shoreline areas are not strangers to live music — Third Place Commons is a hub for local arts and music, among other community-based endeavours; The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council centers its mission on cultivating artistic and musical creativity in the community.

Jean Chaumont plays on his Eastman guitar in his practice space at home.
He was endorsed by Eastman as a solo-artist in 2015. Photo by Lorenzo Chiodo.


But of all places, the Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church seems to be the most unlikely for showcasing jazz talent. That’s where Jean Chaumont comes in — he has been directing the monthly jazz vespers program at LFPP since July 2019.

What brought a world class, French-born jazz guitarist to this area?

Chaumont grew up in the suburbs around Paris, where his mother was a guitarist / singer-songwriter. When he was young, a composer and family friend named Stéphane Butruille suggested Chaumont’s parents sign him up for music lessons. He saw that Chaumont had a natural affinity to music.

“I started with piano when I was 5 years old and was not very studious. My parents tried to bring me to lots of different teachers who were not having a lot of success having me practice what they were giving me. Then around 13 years old, as I was listening to more and more rock and blues, I got drawn to the guitar,” Chaumont says, sitting cross-legged on his couch.

It seems like he’s told this story a few times before.

“When I was 16 years old I was debating between going to graphic arts [school] — I wanted to do cartoons — or music. I was debating between the two because I was practicing my guitar a lot, and this time I was doing what the teachers wanted because I really enjoyed it,” Chaumont says.

Butruille helped him make this pivotal decision.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you enroll in jazz and learn harmony and improvisation with a teacher of that style, because it’s going to give you a pretty broad understanding of harmony and give you lots to chew on’ — so that’s what I did. I didn’t know much about it, I just enrolled,” Chaumont says.

The subtle smile growing from one corner of his mouth suggests that he’s happy with his choice.

Chaumont started his formal jazz studies at the ATLA music school in Paris, where his instructor was Serge Merlaud. He noticed Chaumont’s motivation and diligence as a student, and offered private lessons at his home.

Chaumont left ATLA after one year, and started private lessons with Merlaud.

“It was pretty incredible for me. I gained a lot of insights; he’s a fantastic player and really, pedagogically, he’s very patient and uplifting and funny. I mean, he’s a really fantastic human. So we hung out a lot and he also offered to do little duo gigs with him. 
So you know, I was 17 years old and my teacher would hire me to play duo with him in different setups, and for me it was very exciting,” Chaumont says.

Only a teenager, his résumé as a formidable guitarist in the contemporary French jazz scene grew and grew.

Chaumont started travelling with a gospel group, playing worship services and church conventions.

By 19 he was giving private lessons and mentoring students of his own. He was introduced to film scoring, and found an interest in composing, arranging and producing work for clients, ranging from short films and docuseries, to pop-rock albums.

He once played a concert with a gospel choir at the Stade de France, a stadium that seats roughly 10,000 more people than Seattle’s CenturyLink Field.

“Basically whatever work came my way, I said yes,” Chaumont says. Despite his quiet demeanor, he exudes gung-ho passion for jazz music.

In 2007, while playing monthly concerts at Le Pave D’Orsay with his trio “Goud”, Chaumont met his future wife Andrea, who was an American missionary in Paris at the time.

They married in 2011 and moved to New Jersey three years later when Andrea received a scholarship to earn a Master’s in Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary.

During their time in Princeton, Chaumont began working on his debut album, “The Beauty of Differences.”

The album was produced and released with Misfitme Music, founded by jazz and gospel musician Enoch Smith Jr., who happened to be a music director at the church where Andrea interned in New Jersey.

Every project released on the MisfitMe label has to have a service component.

“[Smith Jr.’s] concept is ‘we always ask money for supporting projects for artists, but as artists we can also support projects for the common good, and we need to be showing an example for society that we need to help each other,’ and so I thought it was genius,” Chaumont says.

Consequently, Chaumont does not profit from the album — all proceeds are given to the Villages in Partnership Organization to finance the excavation of wells in Malawi, Africa.

“As soon as I sell enough to build one well, we’ll build a well,” Chaumont said.

Upon the initial release however, it seemed as though the album would not sell at all — the first review was probably his worst.

“There were lots of things that were sour where it seemed like the guy was even mocking me a little bit. Mocking my vision; he was making fun of the cover, making fun of the fact that I was donating the proceeds,” Chaumont recalls gingerly.

This negativity was short-lived after he received a remarkable four-star review from DownBeat magazine.

“It felt affirming, validating. Like yeah, I might not be a virtuoso yet but I have a voice, and the professional industry is recognizing my voice, and agreeing that my voice matters, and that there is room for me on the market because I’m worth taking a space in the bible of jazz magazines. I felt like I'm a little bit part of the club,” Chaumont says, chuckling.

He hopes to record a second album in the future, and continues working on smaller projects, he said.

Right now he’s got a show lined up at RESONANCE, in the SOMA Towers in Bellevue this coming June, and gigs at the North City Bistro in Shoreline. He also continues to offer private lessons for students.

Jean Chaumont addresses the congregation during the Christmas-themed jazz vespers at LFPP, December 2019.
The Christmas vespers were a crowd pleaser because of the sing-along carols. Photo by David Walton.


After releasing his album in June 2018, the Chaumonts were on the move again when Andrea serendipitously landed a full-time position as the youth minister at Lake Forest Park Prebysterian Church.

LFPP Pastor Frank Baresel knew that Chaumont was a world-class guitarist and of his work in jazz vespers before.

“We were already aware that that was in his history but we didn’t force the issue. We just let him begin that conversation,” Baresel says.

Gina Walton is a regular attendee at LFPP. She first heard Chaumont’s musicianship at the first jazz vespers in July 2019, and now works with him on the jazz vespers committee at the church.

“Jean is quiet, passionate about music and community. Jean is very committed to putting together a vespers program with a theme, a purpose and wonderful musicians for each program. Jean also has a fabulous French accent,” Walton says.

Chaumont spearheaded the vespers project.

“I wanted to do something that was a bit more thoughtful with a theme of the day; with music that reinforced the theme, that is meaningful to the theme, and that could even be inspiration for reflection,” Chaumont explains.

Baresel and other members of the congregation at LFPP have assisted Chaumont in shaping his vision.

“We try to keep the themes fairly broad and accessible to people — it's not really a ‘churchy’ event. There are things we find compelling in the human experience and we wanted to create opportunities for music to accent that, to bring some perspective,” Baresel says.

Through this open and accessible experience, the monthly vespers have drawn a high percentage of attendees from people in the community, not just typical congregation members.

“That’s what we had in mind, just to offer that as a gift to the community, if you will,” says Baresel. “We want to be a place of refreshment and refuge in the middle of a chaotic world.”



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Case updates May 13, 2020

Known cases and deaths in top 12 counties


As of May 13, there are 17,512 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, an increase of 182 cases in the last 24 hours. 975 citizens have died. Visit  the Department of Health's website for cases by county, demographics, and more.

United States
  • 1,364,061 known cases including 21,467 New Cases
  • 82,246 deaths including 1,426 New Deaths in the past 24 hours
Washington state
  • 17,512 known cases
  • 975 deaths
King county
  • 7,221 known cases
  • 514 which includes 327 in skilled nursing facilities
Shoreline

According to the City of Shoreline there are currently no patients housed in the Shoreline Isolation and Recovery Center
  • 329 known cases
  • 51 deaths
Lake Forest Park
  • 30 known cases
  • 0 deaths



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Dog walking in the COVID-19 era

The Shadow knows...
Two dog walkers heading in opposite directions meet on a narrow trail in Shoreline.

They each stop a respectable social distance from each other, they don’t know each other but are friendly.

They both want to continue in their respective directions, but because of the times they want to be safe and considerate of each other.

One calls to the other, “I’m okay if we just quickly pass, no petting or sniffing.”

And the other says, “okay, for the dogs too?”

They laugh and quickly pass without human or K-9 physical contact and continue on their way.

--Tim O’Leary, Shoreline resident and dog walker




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Three vehicle collision on NE 175th sends one to hospital

Three car collision on NE 175th. One car rolled over into a tree
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire


According to Shoreline Fire, a three car collision near 8th and NE 175th around 2:30pm Wednesday sent a woman to the hospital in critical condition.

Her vehicle rolled over and hit a tree. She needed to be extricated from her vehicle. Medics transported her to Harborview.



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Attention Richmond Beach: State Dept of Agriculture will be aerial spraying Woodway for gypsy moth

Gypsy moths ate one-third of the tree cover
in Massachusetts in 2017
Photo courtesy WSDA

Starting Thursday, May 14, 2020 a low-flying aircraft will spray a product called Btk on Woodway to help eradicate both gypsy moth and Hokkaido gypsy moth.

The product is a naturally occurring soil bacteria, Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.) It is not considered harmful to humans, pets, birds, fish or bees, but it is sticky. 

It washes off with soap and water but residents near the spray area may want to cover cars and remove items normally left outside.

Btk will be sprayed in three applications approximately 3 – 14 days apart. All treatments are weather dependent and the schedule is subject to change. 

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) expects to complete all applications by the middle of June.

People in or near the treatment areas can sign up for alerts HERE, which are sent out the day before applications take place. The public can also enter an address in a map on the agency website to verify whether their residence is near a treatment area.

Spray area - Woodway in
Snohomish county

Gypsy moths pose a serious threat to Washington’s environment, with the caterpillars feeding on over 500 types of trees, plants and shrubs. The pest is permanently established in 20 states across the Northeast and Midwest, where it has defoliated millions of acres of forest and urban trees.

In 2017, gypsy moth caterpillars defoliated one-third of the entire state of Massachusetts and in 2018, they lost about one-quarter of their hardwood trees, including three-quarters of their oak trees, in large part due to gypsy moth infestations.

WSDA has been trapping for gypsy moths for over 40 years and has successfully prevented them from establishing in Washington by safely eradicating reproducing populations. 

Visit the agency’s gypsy moth webpage to learn more or call the WSDA toll-free hotline at 1-800-443-6684.



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Just hangin' around, photog. What're you doin'?

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Photo by Gloria Z Nagler


Chestnut-backed Chickadee enjoying a little suet.

--Gloria Z Nagler



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Book review by Aarene Storms: The Tea Dragon Society

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill (graphic novel)

Young Greta is learning to be a blacksmith from her mum, but yearns for something more. Then she rescues a lost "tea dragon" and returns it to the owner, who offers to teach Greta -- and later, Minette -- the art of caring for tea dragons, keeping them warm and fed and harvesting the precious, magical tea leaves that grow on their horns.

This brief, beautiful graphic novel features diverse characters: Greta is a person of color, and is also part-goblin, Minette has a brain injury and a tail, the tea master is an elderly ?coyote-person? and the tea master's spouse is in a wheelchair. But the characters take backseat to the narration, and the joy of the thing is in the quiet, kind story.

Recommended for misfits, tea drinkers, and dragon lovers, ages 10 to adult.


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

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian
Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS astorms@kcls.org



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