Who IS that down there? Lydia, the bite-sized squirrel?

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

 A sharp-shinned hawk with a gray body, mottled breast, very hooked beak, and large brown eyes sits in small tree branches with the bright green foliage blurred. She looks straight ahead. Photo by Gloria Z Nagler

Something catches her attention below and her head is curved so she looks directly at the ground with rapt attention. Photo by Gloria Z. Nagler


Fie! Here comes photog to nix my nab!

(And I did, just by taking these pix. She returned later though and flew away with some small animal... I couldn't tell what, and don't want to know! Sharp-shinned Hawk, methinks, coz tail doesn't look rounded at the end -- the difference between this one and a Cooper's Hawk).

---Gloria Z Nagler




Read more...

Help the Shoreline Farmers Market stay open through the pandemic


Help the Shoreline Farmers Market raise $10,000 by August 31st!

We are proud to be an essential business and to be able to remain open throughout the pandemic as a safe and healthy food source for our community.

With so many uncertainties facing us today, we take pride in providing a safe outdoor shopping experience for our community. 

Like many other businesses, the added safety precautions and staff required to keep our markets running has put a huge strain on our operations budget. We’re asking for your help to raise $10,000 by August 31, 2020 so we can continue bringing you a safe market experience.


Please consider donating any amount that you can to support this amazing market, our fantastic farmers, and our important food access programs.
  • $25 donation covers one week of chalk for our 6ft physically distance markers
  • $50 donation helps to cover the cost of a handwashing station
  • $200 helps to purchase additional safety signage
  • $500 supports our food access programs including SNAP Market Match

The Shoreline Farmers Market has been a staple of the Shoreline community for 9 years and we hope to be around for decades to come. We know that it takes a community to support small local businesses and we are happy to be part of our amazing Shoreline community.




Read more...

Senior Center: Staying cool during the heat wave


BASIC STEPS for STAYING COOL DURING THE HEATWAVE

In past years, Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center has been a drop-in for those needing to escape the heat of their homes during extremely warm weather during the summer months. 

Unfortunately, we are not able to open our doors for drop-in visits as we operate rigid health guidelines to protect the integrity of all of our current nutrition programs and services.

However, we encourage you to incorporate some of the tips listed below as you battle the heat.

We also ask that you be mindful of your senior neighbors. If you do not see activity around their homes during this time, please check on them and share how you stay cool. Many homes in Shoreline do not have central air and can heat up into the 90s. 

  • Turn on fans
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Stay in the coolest part of their home
  • Go to a nearby park and sit under a shade tree if they are ambulatory
  • Do not overexert yourself with household chores, exercise regimes, etc.
  • Take shorter walks with your dog, he/she will be fine as they are hot as well
  • Reduce intake of hot beverages, including coffee (add ice if you must have your cup a day)
  • Close blinds during the day



Some things you can do to help out a neighbor in coping with the heat:
  • Loan them a fan
  • Drop a case of water at their doorstep with a note listing your name and phone number
  • Drop off a bag of ice
  • Offer to walk their dog for them; be sure to provide them your name and phone number
  • Offer to drive them to the grocery store and carry their packages for them
  • If you have concerns about a neighbor, knock on their door but have a sign that they can read through the window, that states your name, address and phone number and simply say “Are you OK?”
Strangers at doorsteps can be very intimidating but a sign allows them to take whatever precautions they have a need to do, before opening the door to a stranger.



Read more...

Last week to give your feedback on the SR 522/NE 145th Stride S3 Bus Rapid Transit


This is the last week for SR 522/NE 145th Stride S3 Bus Rapid Transit Online Open House

The Stride S3 bus rapid transit line will run from the Shoreline South transit station by I-5, east on 145th and north on Bothell Way to Woodinville.

It is expected to be the primary bus line for Lake Forest Park residents who will be taking the Lynnwood Link light rail but it also includes a long section of Shoreline.

You have just this week to provide input on the plans while they are still in early stages. 

Information about Stride 3 and the survey are on this webpage



Read more...

ShoreLake Battle of the Bands

Three of the bands in the Semi-final pool that play Wednesday night August 19 at 7:30pm

ShoreLake Battle of the Bands 2020 – Coming to Lake Forest Park August 26, 2020 at 7pm!
Presented by the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council

A music competition for Washington State bands playing original songs. The ShoreLake Battle of the Bands Finals will also be held live in a drive-in video screen format at Lake Forest Park City Hall on August 26th with all necessary physically distancing measures in place.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 | 7-8pm Car Parking | 9:15pm Band Videos Begin/Main Event
The Finals

Finalists chosen from Pool #1 and Pool #2 will compete in front of a drive-in audience at Lake Forest Park City Hall on a big screen with pre-recorded performances being shown.


Thank you to our sponsors: Jack Malek Real Estate, Robert Lang Studios, Robert Lang Studios Academy, City of Lake Forest Park, and Robert Fisher Music.

Questions? Email Terri at programs@shorelinearts.net

For more information on tickets and how to view the semi-final and finals live, click here!

Semi-Final Pool #2
Virtual Event

Wednesday 19 August, 2020 | 7.30pm

Bands in the Semi-Final Pool #2:

Clear the Chaos
Stacy Jones Band
The Winterlings
The Cosmic Wrays
The Mercy Ray
CAMANO



Read more...

I am awestruck by such beauty...

Orb weaver
Photo by Wayne Pridemore


The Beauty of Nature 
Right here in full view
Oh spider I wish
I could do what you do

You are so amazing
A beautiful Gem
Like diamonds or crystal
I say an "Amen"

For Nature is awesome
Your webs are the BEST
Your spinning and artistry
Passes each test

We all need to open
Our eyes very wide
To drink in such Beauty
With You as our guide

I am awestruck by such beauty, poem by Jean Monce Bryant




Read more...

Case updates August 16, 2020

Case updates August 16, 2020

United States
  • cases 5,382,125 including 41,893 new cases in the past 24 hours
  • deaths 169,350 including 654 new deaths in the past 24 hours
Washington state
  • cases 67,721 includes 260 new within 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 6,255 includes 41 new within 24 hours
  • deaths 1,785 includes 4 reported within 24 hours
King county
  • tested 322,766 - 3,720 reported in previous 24 hours
  • cases 17,824 - 181 in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 2,109 - 13 in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 691 - 4 in previous 24 hours
Shoreline
  • tested 8,856 - 113 new in previous 24 hours
  • cases 539 - 3 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 103 - 0 new in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 60 - 0 new in previous 24 hours
Lake Forest Park
  • tested 1,899 - 17 in previous 24 hours
  • cases 51 - 0 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 3 - 0 new
  • deaths 0 - 0 new



Read more...

AG Ferguson files federal lawsuits against three agencies for failing to produce records related to National Archives in Seattle

The Federal Archives building in north Seattle. It is due to be sold and the documents will be shipped to Missouri and California. The archives contain extensive local records including on the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Japanese-American internments, records from native tribes, and the history of the property itself, which was a farm belonging to a Japanese family who were forcibly removed.


Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed federal Freedom of Information Act lawsuits today against three agencies involved in the January decision to close the Federal Archives and Records Center in Seattle, sell the building and move the records stored there to facilities more than 1,000 miles away.

Ferguson is also sending a letter to a fourth agency who is demanding tens of thousands of dollars to produce the requested records, informing them that if they continue to fail to produce the documents he is prepared to file a lawsuit against them, as well.

The lawsuits seek public records that Ferguson requested more than six months ago under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) related to the decision. Not one of the agencies has provided a single document to the Attorney General’s Office — an egregious violation of the key federal open government law.

Ferguson’s letter informs the PBRB that he is prepared to file a lawsuit if they do not produce the records he requested.

“The decision to close the National Archives in Seattle has far-reaching impacts across the Northwest,” Ferguson said. 
“The first-hand, historical records contained there is essential to the cultural fabric of our communities. 
"The federal government did not seek any local input on its decision to move these important records more than 1,000 miles away, and now illegally refuse to provide documents about how the decision was made. The people have a right to know.”

In January, the OMB approved a recommendation from the PBRB to sell the Federal Archives and Records Center on Sand Point Way in Seattle. The board’s recommendation included removing the contents of the Seattle archives and relocating them to National Archives facilities in Kansas City, Mo., and Riverside, Calif.

The Seattle archives contain many records essential to Washington’s historical record, including tens of thousands of files on the Chinese Exclusion Act, records on the internment of Japanese Americans, and tribal and treaty records of federally recognized tribes throughout the Northwest. Researchers, historians, genealogists and students routinely use these records.

More information here



Read more...

Twin Pond South

Monday, August 17, 2020

Photo by Hitomi Dames


A very long, decaying tree trunk lies in the still waters of the South Pond at Twin Ponds park in south Shoreline. The surface of the water is speckled with green algae and tiny green leaves. Short pieces of branches float next to the trunk.

Clumps of leaves and other greenery cover half the surface of the water.

People who walk this area have placed two 2x4s to make a bridge from the old wooden walkway to a steep rise into the trees. Tree roots above the ground form a kind of stairway.

Anyone walking around Twin Ponds is advised to wear sturdy shoes.



Read more...

New food pantry at Shoreline Covenant Church

Shoreline Covenant Church has a robin's egg
blue pantry with a flower design on the side.
Three shelves are full of food for people to take
if they are in need. Photo by Dan Short


Shoreline Covenant Church, located on N 185th and Ashworth Ave N in the Echo Lake neighborhood, now has a Little Free Pantry.

Like all the other pantries, it is "take what you need and leave what you can."

No credentials or proof of income are necessary for these neighbor helping neighbor food supplies.

And anyone who can, is welcome to help stock any pantry.

The updated list of food pantries is HERE




Read more...

Case updates August 15, 2020

Positive test results in King county by date
the average is staying level

Case updates August 15, 2020

United States
  • cases 5,340,232 including 54,686 new cases in the past 24 hours
  • deaths 168,696 including 1,150 new deaths in the past 24 hours
Washington state
  • cases 67,461 includes 576 new within 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 6,255 includes 25 new within 24 hours
  • deaths 1,781 includes 15 reported within 24 hours
King county
  • tested 319,046 - 4,192 reported in previous 24 hours
  • cases 17,643 - 129 in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 2,096 - 9 in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 687 - 1 in previous 24 hours
Shoreline
  • tested 8,743 - 105 new in previous 24 hours
  • cases 536 - 5 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 103 - 1 new in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 60 - -1 correction
Lake Forest Park
  • tested 1,882 - 33 in previous 24 hours
  • cases 51 - 0 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 3 - 0 new
  • deaths 0 - 0 new



Read more...

Third Place Books presents Shruti Swamy, in conversation with Angela Garbes



Shruti Swamy, in conversation with Angela Garbes - A House is a Body
Monday, August 17, 2020 - 7:00pm
Virtual Event


"Swamy's A House Is a Body will not simply be talked about as one of the greatest short story collections of the 2020s; it will change the way all stories -- short and long -- are told, written, and consumed. There is nothing, no emotion, no tiny morsel of memory, no touch, that this book does not take seriously. Yet, A House Is a Body might be the most fun I've ever had in a short story collection." --Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

Dreams collide with reality, modernity with antiquity, and myth with identity in the twelve arresting stories of A House Is a Body. In "Earthly Pleasures," a young painter living alone in San Francisco begins a secret romance with one of India's biggest celebrities, and desire and ego are laid bare. 
In "A Simple Composition," a husband's professional crisis leads to his wife's discovery of a dark, ecstatic joy. And in the title story, an exhausted mother watches, hypnotized by fear, as a California wildfire approaches her home. 
Immersive and assured, provocative and probing, these are stories written with the edge and precision of a knife blade. Set in the United States and India, they reveal small but intense moments of beauty, pain, and power that contain the world. A House Is a Body introduces a bold and original voice in fiction, from a writer at the start of a stellar career.


The winner of two O. Henry Awards, Shruti Swamy's work has appeared in The Paris Review, McSweeney’s, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere. In 2012, she was Vassar College's 50th W.K. Rose Fellow, and has been awarded residencies at the Millay Colony for the Arts, Blue Mountain Center, and Hedgebrook. She is a Kundiman fiction fellow, a 2017 – 2018 Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University, and a recipient of a 2018 grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation. She lives in San Francisco.

Angela Garbes is the author of Like a Mother, an NPR Best Book of 2018 and finalist for the Washington State Book Award in Nonfiction. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Cut, and featured on NPR's Fresh Air. She lives in Seattle.

A House Is a Body: Stories (Hardcover)
By Shruti Swamy
$25.95
ISBN: 9781616209896
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Algonquin Books - August 11th, 2020
206-366-3333




Read more...

Census takers will be following up with people who did not respond online or by mail

The U.S. Census Bureau has begun conducting non-response follow-up with those who have not yet completed the census or who may have missed a question. 

Rightfully, it can be concerning to have a government worker knock on your door with questions.

If you'd rather not have a personal visit, complete your census information now — online, by phone or by mail — to avoid a visit.

If they do come to your door, remember that most likely they are local citizens who are canvassing their own neighborhoods.




Read more...

Big News from Third Place Commons: Online Programs and a New Auction

Auction begins Monday for this original painting of
sunflowers in a blue vase by local artist
Meenakshi Sinha.


This week brings two exciting announcements from Third Place Commons, starting with a new online auction starting Monday at noon on Third Place Commons’ Facebook page.

Part of the TPC Awesome Auction-a-thon, today’s auction item is an original painting entitled Sunburst by local artist Meenakshi Sinha.

This vivid and sunny image of sunflowers is as cheerful as a summer day and will surely keep the winner in high spirits all year round.

Bids are taken directly in the Comments section of the Facebook auction post, and the highest bidder at noon on Friday will be the winner.

(If you don’t have a Facebook page, feel free to have a friend bid as your proxy.)

This week’s auction is the second in a series of offerings that will continue on August 30 with a $100 gift card from Third Place Books, on September 14 with an overnight bed and breakfast package at a waterfront Hyatt, and on September 24 with one more colorful bouquet of painted flowers by Sinha.



In other big news, Third Place Commons is ramping up a new series on online programming!

Back on the calendar, this time in virtual style, will be Commons classics like foreign language conversation groups and Computer Q/As. There will also be fun new additions like book and movie clubs and stand-alone programs on hot topics of local interest.

Staying home to stay healthy makes good sense, but it can also be isolating, lonely, and awfully tedious! So get ready to bring your Commons community home with you. Stay safe, but connected and we’ll all get through this together!

Keep an eye on the online calendar and stay tuned for more updates coming soon!

In the meantime, don’t forget that the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market continues every Sunday, 10-2, though October 18th. Fresh air shopping is the safest shopping around, so make your list, grab your face covering, leave the doggy at home (sorry, only service animals this year), and come on down!

The Lake Forest Park Farmers Market is a program of Third Place Commons, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization celebrating 20 years of fostering real community in the heart of Lake Forest Park. Learn more at ThirdPlaceCommons.org.



Read more...

New neighbor: Tyler James

Photo by Jo Simmons

And Tyler is - a dahlia! Welcome to the Highland Terrace Neighborhood, Tyler James. Thanks to Jo Simmons for sharing him with us.




Read more...

Lynnwood Link flyover: I-5 and NE 205th interchange

Screenshot of video by Jared Solano

The work being done by Sound Transit contractors at the NE 205th (Ballinger Way) and I-5 interchange has features not present in the other work sites.

At 205th the light rail will go up and over NE 205th. The line will run right next to the freeway and will actually be somewhat higher than the existing roadway.

They are building right next to a critical area. The trees in the forefront of the photo are in a cloverleaf surrounding a deep area with a tributary of McAleer creek down at the bottom.

They are building a flat roadway to hold the supports for the rail.  On the north side (this photo is looking to the south) they have built a high retaining wall along the section they excavated against the freeway.

Screenshot from video by Jared Solano

On the south side of 205th/Ballinger you can see the broad roadway and the shorter wall built there.




 

Read more...

Do you smell smoke?

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Photo by Jan Hansen


Wildfires have been burning in Siberia, inside the Arctic Circle since the beginning of January. Here's a webpage with stunning photos from Greenpeace International in July.

They show megafires burning through the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, Russia.

It’s estimated that fires have burnt more than 20.9 million hectares of land in Russia, and 10.9 million hectares of forest, since the start of 2020. 
The fires are being helped by unusually warm temperatures, including a reading of more than 38° Celsius (100° Fahrenheit) in the town of Verkhoyansk — the hottest on record inside the Arctic Circle.

The smoke twists its way through the mountain ranges of Canada and makes its way to Puget Sound. So far we have just a hint of smoke near the ground. Tonight's sunset, captured by Jan Hansen in west Shoreline, shows the amount of smoke in the air.




Read more...

Thunder, lightning, and power outages


10:45pm 8-16-2020  Shoreline has a thunder cell sitting right over the top of us. It just produced a very loud and startling boom that was heard all over the region.

However some homes on Densmore had a lightning strike in the earlier thunder around 5pm. 10 households are without power and not expected to have it restored until midnight.

Fortunately the temperature has dropped a bit. Weatherwatcher Carl Dinse reports that some areas of Shoreline got up to 102º today - 97º near the water. He says it's the hottest day since July 29, 2009.

City Light shows a handful of outages all over its service area but they are isolated. Some show one location and the biggest shows 86. So far the earlier one is the only one in north King county.





Read more...

Awaiting dinner at Richmond Beach

Photo by Bill Schnall


A great blue heron sits quietly in a tree at sunset, waiting for dinner.



Read more...

Funds released to OSPI to connect 60,000 students to online learning

Chris Reykdal, State
Supt. of Public Instruction

Through the CARES Act, Congress allocated funds to local school districts and to state education agencies to provide support in covering emergency COVID-19 costs.

Superintendent of Public Education Chris Reykdal announced that last week, the Legislature and the Office of Financial Management (OFM) released $8.8 million of OSPI’s share of the funds so OSPI could coordinate and pay for getting students connected to their coursework online.

“With these funds, we will be able to connect up to 60,000 students and their families to online learning,” said Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of Public Instruction. 
“This was my number one priority for CARES Act funding, and I know this will make a huge difference for a lot of students and their families.

OSPI plans to enter into agreements with private partners to provide internet connectivity to students who are low-income. OSPI will cover the costs of internet for these families through the end of the 2020–21 school year.

“Access to internet is an equity issue, and I intend to use this jump start of one-time federal funds to create a push for universal basic education connectivity,” Reykdal continued. “I am thankful the Legislature and OFM released these funds to us."

Altogether, Congress allocated $195 million to Washington’s school districts and $21 million to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for statewide coordination and support through the CARES act.

Two weeks ago, OFM and the Legislature released $2.5 million for professional development for educators to learn to effectively use and streamline online learning platforms. With the remaining roughly $10 million provided by Congress to OSPI, the agency intends to fund competitive grants for community-based organizations (CBOs) to work in partnership with local school districts to support student learning in the 2020–21 school year.

“We know the pandemic has further exacerbated gaps in access to learning for some of our students,” Reykdal said. 
“Our system has transformed very rapidly to create a more predictable and effective remote learning experience for students and families this fall. Moments of crisis create opportunities, and our investments in training, connectivity, and community-based partners will make us a stronger public education system when we put COVID-19 in the rearview mirror.”

Within the next couple of weeks, school districts will provide instructions and details on internet connectivity to students and families who may be eligible.




Read more...

Case updates August 14, 2020

Disease activity in King county over a two week period
Rate per 100k of newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases




Case updates August 14, 2020



United States
  • cases 5,285,546 including 56,729 new cases in the past 24 hours
  • deaths 167,546 including 1,229 new deaths in the past 24 hours
Washington state
  • cases 66,885
  • hospitalizations 6,230 includes 24 new within 24 hours
  • deaths 1,766 includes 11 reported within 24 hours
King county
  • tested 314,854 - 2,863 in previous 24 hours
  • cases 17,514 - 174 in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 2,087 - 6 in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 686 - 0 in previous 24 hours
Shoreline
  • tested 8,638 - 93 new in previous 24 hours
  • cases 536 - 5 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 103 - 1 new in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 61 - 0 additional deaths in previous 24 hours
Lake Forest Park
  • tested 1,849 - 19 in previous 24 hours
  • cases 51 - 0 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 3 - 0 new
  • deaths 0 - 0 new



Read more...

Use zoom to connect with needed services through virtual Resource Center

When the court was live, friendly volunteers showed participants to the lobby where service providers were set up at tables. With COVID-19 the service providers are now on zoom and easily available to all. Photo by Jamie Holter.


Shoreline Community Court’s virtual resource center can help anyone in King County connect to a broad range of health and human service providers, including those connected to behavioral health, housing, legal assistance, health insurance, transportation and employment.

When: August 25th and each Tuesday thereafter between 1:30 - 3:30pm.

How to connect
  • Log on via Zoom (someone will immediately assist you): Zoom Virtual Resource Center Login Meeting ID: 930 683 3892 Password: 459890
  • Or if you do not have video on your computer/phone, call any of these numbers: 253 215 8782, 669 900 9128, 346 248 7799, 312 626 6799, 646 558 8656, or 301 715 8592.



Read more...

How boring to spend the day looking at things from one perspective, thought Dora

Photo by Gloria Z Nagler



How lucky Dora is to have the appropriate claws for her world view!

(pretty sure she's a Downy Woodpecker -- smallest woodpecker in North America -- because of the spots on her tail and the size of her beak.)

--Gloria Z Nagler




Read more...

Week-long blood drive in Edmonds



When the shut down - stay at home orders came, all the usual local blood drives were canceled for fear of COVID-19.

Now Edmonds Center for the Arts is partnering with Bloodworks Northwest to host a pop-up onsite blood drive the week of August 17 - 26, 2020.

The goal is to register 252 donors. The Edmond Center for the Arts is located at 410 4th Ave N, Edmonds.

Schedule an appointment HERE - no walk-ups.

Any donor who registers to donate blood in August will automatically be entered to win an Apple iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Full details HERE.

To comply with coronavirus-related government restrictions and recommendations, masks (or an appropriate face covering) and appointments are now required at all Bloodworks donor sites. More information HERE




Read more...

Pacific Medical Centers: keeping kids up to date with vaccinations



From Pacific Medical Centers

The American Academy of Pediatrics has estimated that roughly 40 percent of children in the United States have missed scheduled vaccinations - when you include teenagers, this can reach almost 80 percent. According to the CDC, social distancing measures have decreased accessibility for routine immunizations, leaving children at a higher risk for vaccine-preventable diseases.

Given all of the uncertainty with back-to-school routines, healthcare providers are looking to prevent further disruption in standard immunization and wellness checks, which are typically part of many kids' back-to-school routine.

To address this issue, Pacific Medical Centers just launched a Back-to-School toolkit for parents.

BACK TO BASICS TOOLKIT

For children, summer physicals and immunizations do more than satisfy school requirements. They also provide peace of mind to families, knowing normal development and preventive measures are on track. Now is the time to take care of these basic health needs, before cold and flu season is upon us.

The toolkit includes the following focus areas:

Pacific Medical Centers (PacMed) is a multi-specialty medical group with nine neighborhood clinics in the Puget Sound area. Founded in 1933, the PacMed network is one of the largest throughout the Puget Sound and offers patients more than 150 providers for primary and specialty care. PacMed’s culture focuses on its mission of delivering high-quality health care focused on the individual needs of its diverse patient population with an emphasis on improving the quality of health in the community.




Read more...

Cartoon by Whitney Potter: You've got to be kidding!



Previous cartoons by Whitney Potter here



Read more...

Op-Ed: Neighbors express concerns about the homeless shelter

Sudeeptha Jothiprakash lives in Richmond Highlands, close to the park. She speaks for herself and a group of nearby neighbors 


As of 8/10, Shoreline City Council and King County have green-lit the project to convert The Oaks at Forest Bay Nursing facility, formerly Arden Rehab, (on N 165th/Aurora Ave N in Shoreline) into a homeless shelter, starting 09/01/2020 and move up to 60 people from all over North King County into the facility by December. 

While we support affirmative actions to address homelessness in our city, we have concerns about this decision. Specifically, the processes being followed to rezone the property, to engage the community most affected by this shelter, and to assure the community's safety.

Just to set context, A Navigation Center is a “low barrier” set up for single adults. There are currently two Navigation Centers that we found in Washington; one is in Vancouver, WA and another in 12th Ave S. In Seattle. 

People are NOT required to stay in the center, and quite a few continue to sleep outside despite having a bed there. They only have to check in every 72 hours, are NOT required to be receiving treatment for mental illness, be “sober” (that is drugs or alcohol); or be part of any service program. They are allowed to possess illegal drugs but are not allowed to use them at the facility. This information comes directly from government documents on the program.

Outreach and process: As of 08/10, Shoreline City Council has already assured King County their support to initiate the first tranche of payments to Royal Oak owners to secure ownership, without attempting a community outreach to hear from the neighborhood beforehand, who will be most affected by this decision. 

The City Council did not address any of the concerns raised in the 08/10 Council meeting and instead want to engage our community with a public outreach as an after-fact. As Shoreline Area News noted “While the City Council is treating this as a ‘study’ item, it seems like it is a decision. Shoreline's part in this is to change the zoning for the site. If they instruct staff to proceed with rezone, then it's a GO for King county.” 

The community most affected will not have a chance to weigh in on the decision-making process since this is already set in motion.

Arden Rehab is the shelter site. Showcase Sports center is the white building under the U-Haul words. The Richmond Highlands park is to the west. Shorewood HS playing fields are on N 170th.


Safety: As a low-barrier facility that is required to accept patrons who may be sex offenders, on drugs or have history of arrests; We are concerned this facility will bring such persons from across Bothell, Cottage Lake, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and Woodinville into our neighborhood. 

This facility shares its boundary with a child daycare, is 10 yards from a kids’ Baseball training center, less than 200 yards from the Shoreline Recreation Center and Meridian Baseball Field that hosts students’ Baseball games all year long, and about 500 yards from Shorewood High School. 

With the potential surge of patrons for the homeless facility from across King County, we will see overflows resulting in increased encampments within our community. These encampments are in such close proximity to facilities children often use unattended that we are concerned for the mental health and safety risk of our children. 

Our fears already turned true on 08/04/2020 when Shoreline City Police arrested two homeless people who were using Richmond Highland Rec Center’s restroom to use drugs, while there were 20 kids using the baseball ground at that very moment. This is not an isolated incident and setting up a low barrier facility does not solve such problems but only brings more of such people to our community.

As Diane Pfeil, the owner of the daycare center adjacent to the proposed Navigation Center expressed, “I have been a licensed childcare provider serving the Shoreline community from this location for the last 32 years. I worked hard with families to provide a safe environment for children to learn and grow. 
"Parents are already expressing concern about the safety of the community environment their children will be in, if this homeless shelter goes in. This has a direct impact on my ability to continue operating a business that supports many local families. “



It's unfortunate that the City Council’s response to these concerns is to cite absence of regulations to protect kids’ facilities. Quoting the Council from 08/10 meeting “There are no regulations about proximity to parks, schools, daycare or things like that. Current homeless regulations are based on operational considerations like the code of conduct that was mentioned previously." 

Regulations should not be the only thing that stops the City Council from making decisions, we deserve to think about the safety and security of the children in our community.

Long-term impact: King County does not guarantee funding for the homeless shelter’s upkeep in perpetuity and the City Council has so far not proposed any increase in Police funding to guarantee safety of our community. We also do not see adequate plans to address the City's reduced tax revenue from loss of property value across the neighborhood, which will further affect school and police funding. 

For example, residents of the neighborhood in Vancouver where a Navigation Center is located said it took 7 months for their neighborhood to become unrecognizable. The most common complaints were people being harassed, urination and human defecation everywhere, and people using drugs in plain sight. 

The neighborhood around 12th and Dearborn has evolved to be known as a drug dealing location and “under the police radar” for high traffic of stolen items. The City has not communicated an adequate plan to sustain redevelopment projects in this segment of Aurora Ave, when facilities like Therapeutic Health Service for drug addicts and homeless shelter for drug addicts becomes the center of Shoreline City. This affects the long-term growth of Shoreline.

You can learn more about the project here and voice your opinion by writing to the Shoreline City Council on the proposal, or registering to speak in the council meeting (reference Action 9a) held each Monday.


Read more...

Friday's sunset

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Friday night's sunset over Puget Sound.




Read more...

Cautious good news from State Department of Health

COVID-19 Disease activity in state
Rate of newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases
over the past seven days


A new report from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) shows that COVID-19 cases are plateauing in the state.

The latest statewide situation report (6 pages) reflects the flattening of new case counts in most counties in western and eastern Washington.

Report findings include:
  • The reproductive number is hovering around one. The best estimate of the reproductive number (the estimated number of new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) in western WA was likely between 0.79 and 1.15 on July 26, with a best estimate of 0.97. In eastern WA, the best estimate on July 25 was likely between 0.82 and 1.13, with a best estimate of 0.98. The goal is a reproductive number well below one, which would mean the number of people getting COVID-19 is declining.
  • We’re starting to see the impacts of people using face coverings across the state. This report suggests that reductions in the reproductive number are attributable to statewide policy changes like the June 23 and July 7 mask mandates and pausing county movement with the Safe Start plan.
  • Case counts are plateauing or declining across age groups in King and Yakima counties. Pierce County case counts may be starting to decline after alarmingly high growth in June and July. Spokane County cases started to decline in 0-39 year olds, but are on the rise again due to a sharp uptick in the 40-69 and 70+ age groups.

“While this is encouraging news and a sign of our collective efforts, we must not let our guard down,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. 
“Plateauing is not enough to keep this pandemic under control; we must transition to a state of sustained decline in new cases. It remains critical that we continue to stay home when possible, keep interactions with others brief and wear face coverings.”

DOH partners with the Institute for Disease Modeling, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington and the Microsoft AI for Health program to develop this weekly report. 

More COVID-19 data can be found on the DOH website and in the state’s risk assessment dashboard.



Read more...

Flowers: Rose of Sharon

Photo by Judith Muilenburg

Apparently the Rose of Sharon is a rose tree rather than a rose bush. The ArborDay website says this about it: 

The Rose-of-Sharon is an deciduous, upright, occasionally spreading shrub or small tree with multiple trunks. The branches grow upright and will not droop except when in flower. The leaves emerge late in the spring. Leaves are medium to dark green in summer with no or poor yellow fall color. 
The bark is light brown and thin, and the wood itself is weak. The trumpet shaped flowers are 2-4" across in colors of white, pink, red, violet or purple. They stay open for one day and close at night. 
Single-flowered varieties are hardier than the double-flowered types. The roots are located just below the soil surface. This shrub is tolerant of many soil textures, moisture conditions, and acid to alkaline pH if it is in full or nearly full sun.

More information here



Read more...

Senior Center hosts TeleCafe on Wednesday and a craft activity on Aug 26


You're Invited to Our TELECAFE with Tricia Lovely

Wednesday, August 19, 2020, 2pm on Zoom
Meeting ID: 859 8484 8513
Password: senior2020

Tips on Coping with Isolation

Check in with our social worker Alain Rhone on how we combat isolation during the pandemic. Explore opportunities at the Senior Center and beyond to enrich your social life while staying safe. Chat with new friends and share with one another as we build a digital community.

A Zoom social hour, a chance to visit while staying home and staying safe. Grab a cup of coffee and sit down to chat with your friends from the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center from the comfort of your own computer or smartphone

Register for special craft activity on Wednesday, August 26 with Kathy Brower, paper artist! Kathy has room for 15 students to do a paper craft on Zoom during our 8/26 Cafe and we want to make sure to get people registered ASAP. Email jarrodw@soundgenerations.org with your email address if you'd like to participate.

Read more...

Federal Transit Administration awards Sound Transit $4.8 million to procure buses for SR 522 BRT project

Sound Transit concept image of a Stride BRT station on SR 522/NE 145th St


The Federal Transit Administration has awarded Sound Transit $4.8 million to procure up to five high-capacity transit buses for the agency’s SR 522 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The project, which will be known as the Stride 3 Line, will deliver new, expanded service for north Lake Washington communities, including Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore..

“Stride 3 will help relieve traffic congestion in the rapidly growing cities that it will serve,” said Sound Transit Board Member and Kenmore Mayor David Baker. 
“In light of the financial impact of COVID-19 on Sound Transit, this grant is especially important now. We are grateful to the FTA and our congressional delegation for their ongoing support to improve transit in our region.”


The grant comes from the FTA’s Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program, which provides funding to states and transit agencies through a statutory formula to replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities. Sound Transit will provide a 20% local match for the grant.

The BRT project was approved by voters in 2016 as part of the Sound Transit 3 measure. The SR 522 BRT project connects six cities with 13 stations: Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell and Woodinville. The SR 522 BRT will connect to light rail service at the Shoreline South station on 145th, allowing quick, easy access to jobs, education, healthcare and housing.

BRT riders will be able to reliably travel from University of Washington Bothell to Shoreline South/145th light rail station in 22 minutes. During congested periods, the trip can take up to 45 minutes. BRT service will run every 10 minutes all day.

BRT service differs from traditional bus service in that it makes fewer stops and travels longer distances, with faster loading and unloading as boarding is allowed via all three doors.

The payment system enables riders to quickly board on all three doors. Enhancements such as raised boarding areas and display screens that show bus arrival times enhance user experience, while features such as transit signal priority and use of dedicated lanes for transit, HOVs, and business access increase both speed and reliability.

BRT is tailored to meet the needs of commuters and those who need fast service traveling over long distances.

The anticipated date for when SR522 BRT service will begin is 2024/2025. The schedule is subject to change due to impacts from the COVID-19 recession and the ongoing Sound Transit Board realignment process.




Read more...

Case updates August 13, 2020; Kreidler extends emergency order on telehealth

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler extended his emergency order again, directing all state-regulated health insurers to make additional coverage changes to aid consumers during the coronavirus pandemic.

His order is in effect until September 15, 2020 and requires health insurers to:
  • Continue coverage for providing telehealth via methods including telephone and video chat tools such as Facetime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangout video, Skype and Go-to-Meeting.
  • Cover all medically necessary diagnostic testing for flu and certain other viral respiratory illnesses billed during a provider visit for COVID-19 with no copay, coinsurance or deductible.
  • Treat drive-up testing sites for COVID-19 as provider visit with no copay, coinsurance or deductible.
More information here.

Case updates August 13, 2020

United States
  • cases 5,228,817 including 52,799 new cases in the past 24 hours
  • deaths 166,317 including 1,497 new deaths in the past 24 hours
Washington state
  • cases 66,319
  • hospitalizations 6,206 includes 24 new within 24 hours
  • deaths 1,755 includes 19 reported within 24 hours
King county
  • tested 311,911 - 4,859 in previous 24 hours
  • cases 17,340 - 136 in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 2,081 - 8 in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 686 - 1 in previous 24 hours
Shoreline
  • tested 8,545 - 50 new in previous 24 hours
  • cases 531 - 1 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 10 - 1 new in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 61 - 0 additional deaths in previous 24 hours
Lake Forest Park
  • tested 1,830 - 13 in previous 24 hours
  • cases 51 - 0 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 3 - 0 new
  • deaths 0 - 0 new

Corrected math for new state cases 

Read more...

Kittens available at Whisker City



Need a companion while you are stuck at home? Whisker City has kittens ready to go. Get two - they are better together and will keep each other company when you eventually go back to work.

In early July, Whisker City rescued 18 kittens and one mama cat from Yakima, WA, keeping this small but mighty Shoreline rescue v-e-r-y busy!

Donations through the Amazon WishList have kept up with the enormous physical demands of The Yakima 19 and monetary donations have helped with the cost of their medical care and their spay or neuter surgeries.

Many of them are now ready to be adopted!

These are cats that were being euthanized in Yakima due to treatable medical conditions, and they are thriving thanks to a generous community and a team of tireless volunteers.

Whisker City is a small rescue that is dedicated to protecting the lives and interests of unwanted cats, and is committed to rescuing and rehabilitating abused, neglected and abandoned felines.

During the pandemic it is closed to the public but appointments to visit can be arranged by calling 206-380-4972. It is located in a residential neighborhood in central Shoreline.

Check out whiskercity.com for more information.



Read more...

Shoreline police arrest two drug users in park restroom

Friday, August 14, 2020


Story and photo from King County Sheriff's Office

Parks play a vital role in the physical and mental well-being of our community. That's why the King County Sheriff’s Office is committed to keeping them safe for our residents.

On August 4, 2020 at around 1:00 PM, a Shoreline police officer, a King County Sheriff's Office contract city, conducted a routine check of Richmond Highlands Park located in the 16500 block of Fremont Avenue North. At the time, there were roughly 20 children playing in the area.

The deputy walked in to the men’s bathroom and immediately noticed two adult males sitting on the floor inside one of the bathroom stalls. The deputy noticed assorted drug paraphernalia scattered around them.

The deputy arrested both men. One had a felony warrant for DOC Escape, along with two misdemeanor warrants. The other person was arrested for possessing drug paraphernalia.

Upon searching both persons incident to arrest, it was also discovered that there were other drugs and drug paraphernalia located in both of their backpacks and pockets.

Both men were taken to SCORE Jail where they were booked on the respective charges. This kind of activity won't be tolerated in our public parks and restrooms, especially where children are playing.




Read more...

Twin Ponds North

Photo by Hitomi Dames


This lovely scene is the North Pond of Twin Ponds Park between 1st Ave NE and Meridian around 155th in Shoreline.

The park includes a community garden for the Hopeline Food Bank, soccer fields, and trails.



Read more...
ShorelineAreaNews.com
Facebook: Shoreline Area News
Twitter: @ShorelineArea
Daily Email edition (don't forget to respond to the Follow.it email)

  © Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP