Coast Guard seeks public information after laser strike hits Seattle boat crew near Pt. Wells

Thursday, August 20, 2020

45-foot response boat medium (RB-M) of the type used in Puget Sound by the Coast Guard.



The Coast Guard is seeking information from the public in locating a suspect or suspects who pointed a blue laser light at a Station Seattle boat crew conducting search and rescue operations Monday night near Point Wells.

The crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium initially reported they were fit to complete their assigned search and reported no immediate injuries from the laser strike. 

However, several minutes later, multiple crew members reported experiencing pain and discomfort in their eyes as a result of the exposure.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received the initial report from the Station Seattle crew that a blue laser struck the response boat's cabin. 

The laser strike reportedly came from the general vicinity of the Point Wells area.

“Laser incidents are incredibly dangerous, put the safety of our boat crews in jeopardy and degrade our ability to navigate and respond to search and rescue,” said Lt. Alex Cropley, commanding officer of Station Seattle. 
“We ask the public to understand the dangers associated with playing with lasers and how they disrupt search and rescue assets from responding to mariners in distress.”

Laser pointers can cause danger to Coast Guard air and boat crews due to glare, afterimage, flash blindness or temporary loss of night vision. If a laser is shined in the eyes of an aircrew member, Coast Guard flight rules dictate that the aircraft must abort its mission.

Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft or vessel is a felony crime under 18 U.S. Code Section 111, which states whoever forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person - a U.S. government officer - (in this case, a Coast Guard member) engaged in performance of his/her official duties, is in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 111.

Coast Guard Investigative Service agents are working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact investigators at 206-220-7170 and visit their webpage

For more information about laser safety and the effects of a laser incident, visit the Federal Aviation Administration’s Laser Safety Imitative webpage here 




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Family Academy webinars for families of Shoreline Schools students

Family Academy webinars begin next week

The Family Academy is an opportunity to connect with information, resources and tools to support your child’s learning and success as we start the new school year online.

The webinar dates are set to occur over a two-week period to ensure families whose technology pick ups are scheduled toward the end of next week are able to have access and participate. 

They will be held on August 26, August 27, September 1 and September 3 from 6:30-8:30 pm each night. Recordings will also be made available and posted on the school website for families who are unable to join the live sessions.

Spanish interpretation will be available at the September 1 session and Amharic interpretation will be available at the session on September 3.

You must register in advance using one of the links below. Each session will cover the same content as the others, so you only need to register for one. 

Click on the session you would like to register for and fill out the form. You will then receive links and information for joining your selected session.

Each session has a 3,000 attendee limit. If a session’s registration is full, please try registering for another. Video recordings will also be posted on our website the day after each session.

Session Registration Links:

Each session will cover the same four topics and will follow the same schedule outlined below:
  1. Technology and Access 6:45-7:10
  2. Supporting Remote Learning 7:10-7:35
  3. Social and Emotional Wellbeing 7:35-8:00
  4. Creating Family Connections 8:00-8:25

After staff and community members share resources about each component, there will be an opportunity for families to ask questions and share their needs regarding what they’d like to learn more about in future months.

We hope you will join us! If you have any questions about the Family Academy webinars, please reach out to Rebekah Gardea, Equitable Family Engagement Coordinator, at rebekah.gardea@shorelineschools.org.



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Existential angst often plagued Lydia

 

Lydia the squirrel sits pensively upright on a branch, her paws against her chest and her tail flat against her back. Her eyes look unfocused. One foot grips the thick branch. The other is curved up with just the tips touching the branch. Photo by Gloria Z Nagler


Where's Camus when you  need him, she wondered.


--Gloria Z. Nagler




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AG Ferguson announces victory for Hanford workers

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that a panel of judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously ruled that Washington has a right to create laws giving workers at Hanford Nuclear Reservation easier access to the benefits they deserve if they become ill because of their work at Hanford.




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Jobs: Seasonal maintenance

City of Shoreline
Extra Help - Grounds Maintenance Seasonal Laborer

Four (4) 40-hr per week seasonal positions in the Public Works Department available.

These short-term positions have been budgeted for a maximum of 9 weeks, up to 360 hours.

First review of applications August 24th, with applications being accepted through September 8th.

DEFINITION

This is a seasonal 40-hour per week position. The work schedule is typically on a 9/80 schedule with an occasional evening or weekend assignment. Monday through Friday scheduling is available. Schedule details will be worked out with selected applicant. This recruitment of short-term Seasonal Laborers may work up to nine weeks (360 hours).

This position performs a variety of semi-skilled maintenance and repair duties under the supervisory direction of the Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Senior Grounds Maintenance Worker, or other full-time maintenance staff.

To review the complete job announcement and apply, click here.




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Jobs: City of Shoreline

City of Shoreline
Plans Examiner III

Closes August 20, 2020 11:59pm

Cover letter and resume attached to the application are required

The City of Shoreline Building and Inspections Team of plan reviewers and inspectors, is key to implementing private redevelopment within two major area upzones within the City as preparation for two new Link Light Rail Stations currently under construction.

DEFINITION

To review complex commercial and residential building plans and specifications for compliance with established building codes and ordinances; to respond to inquiries from developers, contractors and the general public regarding code compliance issues; to assist staff in the application and interpretation of adopted codes; to perform various field inspections; and to perform a variety of plans examination tasks relative to assigned area of responsibility.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the advanced journey level class in the Plans Examiner series. Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of independence in performing work, the responsibility assumed, and the complexity of duties assigned. Employees perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series including plans examination work supporting building projects of a large and complex scope and high level of responsibili­ty. Employees at this level are required to be fully trained in all procedures related to assigned area of responsibility, and have supervisory responsibility.

CLICK HERE TO REVIEW JOB ANNOUNCEMENT AND APPLY





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Third Place Books presents Jeff Hobbs, in conversation with Helen Thorpe


Jeff Hobbs, in conversation with Helen Thorpe - Show Them You're Good
Thursday, August 20, 2020 - 7:00pm
Virtual Event



The bestselling, critically acclaimed, award-winning author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace presents a brilliant and transcendent work that closely follows four Los Angeles high school boys as they apply to college.

Four teenage boys are high school seniors at two very different schools within the city of Los Angeles, the second largest school district in the nation with nearly 700,000 students. Author Jeff Hobbs, writing with heart, sensitivity, and insight, stunningly captures the challenges and triumphs of being a young person confronting the future -- both their own and the cultures in which they live -- in contemporary America.

Filled with portraits of secondary characters including friends, peers, parents, teachers, and girlfriends, this masterwork of immersive journalism is both intimate and profound and destined to ignite conversations about class, race, expectations, cultural divides, and even the concept of fate. Hobbs's portrayal of these young men is not only revelatory and relevant, but also moving, eloquent, and indelibly powerful.

Jeff Hobbs graduated with a BA in English language and literature from Yale in 2002, where he was awarded the Willets and Meeker prizes for his writing. He is the author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace and The Tourists. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

Helen Thorpe was born in London to Irish parents and grew up in New Jersey. Her journalism has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, New York magazine, The New Yorker, Slate, and Harper's Bazaar. Her radio stories have aired on This American Life and Sound Print. She is the author of Just Like Us, Soldier Girls, and The Newcomers and lives in Denver.

Show Them You're Good: A Portrait of Boys in the City of Angels the Year Before College (Hardcover)
By Jeff Hobbs
$28.00
ISBN: 9781982116330
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Scribner - August 18, 2020





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Bee keeper class: Honey Bee Genetic Diversity

honey bees
Keeping it Wild! Honey Bee Genetic Diversity 

Saturday, August 22, 2-3:30pm

For teens and adults. 

Honey bees' genetic diversity has declined over the last 180 years but there is much we can do to improve this condition! 

Learn from Heather Wood of Urban Evergreen Bee Sanctuary about diverse plantings, hiving, and wild swarming!
 
Each person who registers will receive a Zoom link to join.



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Shoreline Housing Action Plan Online Open House - Provide your input



The City of Shoreline is developing a Housing Action Plan.

The goal is to support the construction of more affordable and market rate housing of different housing types at prices that are more affordable to people with a variety of incomes.

The Action Plan will identify tools to address Shoreline’s specific set of needs and provide guidance on how to implement those tools.

Visit the online open house to learn more about Shoreline’s current and future housing needs and to share your priorities and concerns.




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Notes from Shoreline City Council August 17, 2020

Reporter Pam Cross


Shoreline City Council Meeting
August 17, 2020

Notes by Pam Cross


The meeting was held online using the Zoom platform.

Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm
All Councilmembers were present.

Report of the City Manager’s Office, Debbie Tarry

COVID-19 Update Please continue to take prevention measures seriously.

Face coverings are required in all indoor public places, and outdoors when you may be unable to maintain six feet of distance from others. Businesses are required to enforce the use of face coverings for all customers and visitors. Masks are also required in common spaces like elevators and public hallways, even when you are alone in those spaces.

Practice physical distancing of six feet or more, minimize contact with those outside of your home, wash and sanitize your hands frequently, and avoid large gatherings and poorly ventilated spaces.

Get tested at the first sign of illness.

The safest thing you can do is to stay home if at all possible.

City Hall and recreation facilities remain closed to the public. Most City services are available online or by phone. Drop off and pick up of packages, including permits, is available. Contact Shoreline remote services for additional information.

Yard Sign Art and Sign Parade Citywide

Thanks to all of the participants who helped Celebrate Shoreline! and our 25th birthday by displaying artwork along the Interurban Trail and throughout the community.

The Can Castle Contest is currently being judged. Winners will be announced soon.


Bring your cans of food to Spartan Rec from 2-5pm on Aug 19, or to the Shoreline Farmers Market from 11am-1pm on Aug 22. They will deliver the donations to Hopelink! All donations are welcome.

Please don’t bring donations directly to Hopelink! as they are not currently accepting donations directly from the public.

SR 522/NE 145th Stride BRT

This is the final week of the Online Open House. Learn more about Sound Transit’s Stride bus rapid transit coming to SR522/NE 145th and share your thoughts on your travel preferences. More information is available at SR522 BRT

Fall Recreation Registration

Registration opens soon for fall recreation programs, including “Out of School Time” camps that will provide full-day camp opportunities for kids and teens that support remote learning and provide other activities. Shoreline schools are opening remotely and these camps will be helpful to working parents who are unable to work from home and do not have access to other childcare options.

Registration dates are Tuesday, Sept 8 for Shoreline residents; Thursday Sept 10 for LFP residents; Friday Sept 11 general registration.

More information at shorelinewa.gov/registration

Public Reminders

Planning commission will meet Thursday, Aug 20 and Thursday, Sept 3 at 7pm

PRCS/Tree board will meet Thursday, Aug 27 at 7pm

All meetings will take place remotely. For information on how to participate, go to shorelinewa.gov/calendar

This is the last Council meeting before recess. The next Council meeting will take place on Sept 14.

City Hall will be closed for business on Monday Sept 7, Labor Day.


Council Reports

Mayor Hall, on behalf of Council, proclaimed Sept 2020 as National Recovery Month in Shoreline. This year’s theme in King County is “Rising Above it All: Wellness, Resilience, and Recovery.” Among other goals the hope is to encourage individuals and communities to take action to help expand the availability of effective prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for families and individuals in need.

Mayor Hall read a letter from the City Council to Eric Friedli congratulating him on his retirement, and thanking him for his dedication and leadership contributions to the City Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services/Tree Board.


Public Comment

Due to the number of speakers, time was limited to 2 minutes each. Complete comments can be listened to in the video of the meeting available on the Shoreline website. Written comments are also available.

Navigation Center 16357 Aurora Ave N. 
One story, sprawling building with parking lot in front.
Hedges in front, then grassy area, sidewalk and street tree.



The following speakers had many questions about locating a Navigation Center at the intersection of 165th and Aurora. They expressed multiple concerns, including the lack of public outreach to the neighborhood, local businesses, and schools prior to selecting this location for this occupancy.

Vancouver, WA and Seattle both have Navigation Centers but neither is close to single family homes or schools. Council should look how these low barrier facilities have impacted those neighborhoods. This location is in close proximity to schools, parks, and a daycare. At the previous meeting Councilmembers mentioned homeless families with children and people suffering temporary distress. But this Center is for adult single males. Why not women and children? It is not clear what the shelter’s rules will be. Navigation Centers do not require residents to stay. They can possess drugs but cannot use them at the Center. Where do you think drugs will be used? There are already problems with drug use in the park. What exactly is “low barrier”? If there are no requirements for entry, can residents still be asked to leave? It does not appear that residents are required to take any social services or to sleep there, and some prefer to sleep outside near the centers. We need to look at the long term effect on the community. Can we expect crime rates to increase? Prostitution? Drug dealing? These results near other low barrier centers have been reported in the local news. Will Shoreline Place still be as attractive to the developers and future tenants? There are time constraints on the purchase, but that should not be an excuse to skip public outreach before this decision is made. Council is ignoring the concerns of the citizens’ safety. Owners of single family homes have rights too. Who will take responsibility for the safety of the children?

Vinay Venkatesh, Shoreline
Mithuna Srinivasan, Shoreline
Guru TG, Shoreline
Gaurav Bansal, Shoreline
Sudeeptha Jothiprakash, Shoreline
Joanne Godmintz, Shoreline
Nancy Pfeil, Shoreline
DJ Kong, Shoreline


The following speakers expressed concerns about Shoreline police and the Council with respect to Black Lives Matter and the response of police to people of color in Shoreline.

The speakers would like to see greater participation in BLM events by members of the Council to show their support for the Black youth who are organizing in favor of equal treatment. There is support for defunding the police and specifically prohibiting use of assault rifles by the police. A person brandishing a knife does not need to be shot by an assault rifle that is designed to kill, not wound, the target. Shouldn’t a taser be used instead? $34M could be better spent on social services and expanding the Response Awareness De-escalation and Referral (RADAR) program. Council needs to hold the police accountable for their actions. At a single incident, police are slow or unresponsive to calls from POC, while arriving quickly when someone calls to report the actions of POC. People have cell phone cameras and will be using them to “police the police.” Speakers don’t want to live in a city that isn’t welcoming to all.

They would like to see BLM events shown in the Shoreline Currents for those that rely on that as their source of information about Shoreline activities.

Rosa Rice-Pelepko, Shoreline
Courtney Ewing, Shoreline
Kara Adams, Shoreline,
Benjamin Hanowell, Shoreline
William Oliver, Shoreline
Stephanie Angelis, LFP
Corinna Sullivan, Shoreline

Mayor Hall stated they are listening to BLM, and paying attention to emails and phone calls, and marches. They hear and agree with the urgent need to stamp out racism. We cannot silently allow racism to exist in a just society. Council acknowledges it is part of the system that has denied rights to black and indigenous people. Laws have been changed but racism still exists in many different forms. They have heard that POC don’t feel safe or treated equitably by police when everyone should feel safe and that is Council’s responsibility. We have a long way to go. We should all speak out against racism.


Approval of the Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.
The Consent Calendar adopted unanimously by roll call vote
.


ACTION ITEMS

Action Item 8(a) Public Hearing to Receive Comments on Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Sound Transit’s Offers on and to Execute Modification of Plat Restrictions (Dull’s Subdivision No. 2) That Affects a City-owned Parcel (PN 2111600046) and First Amendment of Protective Covenants (Shoreline Park Subdivision) That Affects a City-owned Parcel (PN 7772400200)

Juniper Nammi, Light Rail Project Manager, presented the staff report.

Lot in Shoreline Park subdivision owned by city.

Sound Transit acquired properties for the Lynnwood Link Extension (LLE) project within seven subdivisions which are bound by restrictive covenants on the subdivision plat that govern how property within the subdivision can or cannot be used. Sound Transit needs to alter these plats to modify the restrictive covenants so they no longer apply to the property that it has acquired within this subdivision so the LLE project can be built and operated on these properties.

Sound Transit wants to remove these restrictive covenants only from the properties they acquired, not from the whole subdivision. In order to remove the parcels from the subdivisions, State law requires they offer compensation in the form of payments based on property value impact of proposed changes to remaining property owners. All other property owners have accepted the offers to date. Sound Transit held its own public hearing in May 2019.

For the Old Ridgecrest park (parking lot), $30k has been offered to the City and for Shoreline Park, Tract A, designated parks property used for surface water pump station, $40k has been offered.

Public Hearing opened for Comment

No one signed up. Additional time allowed to make comments. There were no speakers.

DISCUSSION

No additional discussion

Vote: Authorizing the City Manager to Accept Sound Transit’s Offers passed unanimously 7-0


STUDY ITEMS

County Councilmember
Rod Dembowski

Study Item 9(a) Discussion of Issues of Shared Interest with King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski


King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski represents the 1st Council District in King County, which includes the City of Shoreline. Consequently, Councilmember Dembowski and the City Council have a shared interest in maintaining a common understanding of information, interests and priorities that make a difference in the lives of Shoreline residents. Tonight’s conversation will explore some of those shared interests.

King County Councilmember Dembowski:

The County has been focused on Covid-19. We are fortunate to have a great public health department with very capable folks providing a coordinated health response. 

It appears that numbers of infection, hospitalizations and deaths are declining because people are taking it seriously. 

Thanks to the City of Shoreline for providing the location for the ACRC (Assessment Recovery Center) at Shoreline Center. They are currently assessing what is needed to restore the playfields so they can proceed to get them back to their original state.

Transit ridership is down substantially and a slow comeback is expected even after a vaccine is available. We think we’ll see permanent changes as more people work from home into next year or maybe permanently.

The system of peak hours for transit has been shifting to all-day-frequent network. Actually, this system will be easier to run. We are fortunate Light Rail will be opening in Shoreline as these changes happen. Metro service is changing routes to feed light rail. 

Because revenue is sales tax driven, we have lost several million dollars. Over 10 years it is expected to reach $2B. We did receive some federal money that helped mitigate that loss, but Metro was still forced to do some layoffs and offers of early retirement. Now we can shift to rebuilding. Metro requires passengers to wear masks, but they rely on voluntary compliance. Masks are now available on the buses. Metro is still not charging fares in order to try to protect the operators by boarding at the back (fee boxes are in the front, next to the driver).

The County received about $282M in federal CARES Act money and passed out about $175M to date for public health response, food security, housing support, behavioral health support and economic recovery. There are a lot of subprograms within those categories including veterans and senior citizens. The County is providing support to respond to youth homelessness in Shoreline. The City has provided zoning and support, housing, and more shelter space. 

We were able to get a $55K commitment for a Youth Homelessness Advocate funded through Youth Care as a resource centered in Shoreline. This is less costly than a drop-in facility while providing a means to connect kids to items that are available already.

As respects the public comments regarding the proposed Navigation Shelter:

Shoreline has a great reputation for wanting to do its share for the homeless. The Third Door Coalition proposal is pretty specific on how to solve homelessness: 6,000 new housing units. (The Third Door Coalition is an all-volunteer, cross-sector group of business, nonprofit providers, healthcare professionals, academics and advocates.) And they are asking every community to step up and take a share of that. The neighbors have valid concerns. But we need to work with the community to make this work. 60 isn’t that many people. We believe people commit fewer crimes when they have housing and feel safer. So while we understand the concerns, we can talk through them and mitigate them. Interim shelter use is a path to permanent housing. We got rid of old fashioned shelters where people can stay only for the night. Because it doesn’t bring stability, it doesn’t work. People feel much more stable if they can lock their door, eat a meal, and have access to services. We hope Shoreline will be a partner in this venture.

Finally, we’re excited about getting the Conservation Futures Tax levy (CFT) dollars to acquire new park land at the intersection of 185th and Ashworth in Echo Lake.


DISCUSSION

Navigation center.

Part of the reason people have concerns is a result of zero public outreach before Council pretty much gave it a thumbs up. That is unfair to the neighborhood and the City as a whole. Councilmembers may not have been aware of the nature of the nearby businesses. Developers of Shoreline Place have expressed serious concerns about the effect on leasing. The building with individual rooms is great, but the location is terrible for a harder-to-house population of single adult males. This has happened so quickly we need public outreach. People want this project paused so they can really have a say, or maybe even use it for women and children. Shoreline is generous and people realize something needs to be done about the homeless, but this is a well-kept neighborhood of single family homes with a lot of kids. The Navigation Centers in existence are not very successful and have introduced a problem that is impossible to eradicate overnight. A neighborhood may not immediately collapse when a low barrier center is opened, but a neighborhood can die slowly and not recover.

Reply: I have heard from many Shoreline residents on this. I agree it needs to go through the process because these are legitimate concerns. It was expedited due to the unexpected offer of the property. People support housing for women and children - single men are tough. Some are vets. Some just need help with sobriety. In Kenmore, very similar concerns were expressed even though it was a Mary’s Place for families. That shelter has been a success and the neighbors’ worries did not develop. One way to make it work is to manage the size. Renton’s Red Lion that was leased for 200 occupants has been a problem overwhelming Renton and had adverse impacts on many of the businesses.

An occupancy of 60 is small?

Reply: That’s what I was told. Between 50-100 is the target with 100 the maximum they want. There’s a sweet spot to bring in cost effective services.

So the goal is having the residents meeting with a counselor? Getting diagnosed?

Reply: That’s my understanding, with referrals to other agencies for services. Someone mentioned that occupants don’t have to sleep there. I hadn’t heard that and that should be handled with rules and restrictions. Homelessness is a problem in Shoreline just like everywhere else. A lot of people are sleeping on benches or living in cars or RV’s, tucked in street ends or parking lots here and there. So we need to get them in housing. Housing first works. But it needs to be in the right place. Identifying if this is the “right place” is a reasonable request. We need to do the actual process, not just a listening session.

We need a facility in the North End of the County because that is where these people live. We can’t pick and choose and select only women and children. The men need a place to sleep too, so they’re not in the parks or on the Interurban Trail. When Ronald Commons was planned we heard the same fears. They did not turn into reality. Ronald Commons does house women and children, and is very well run which has helped tremendously. Where else would the Navigation Center go? The City needs to be part of solving how this facility can be well run. If we don’t do this now, it probably won’t be done for 10 more years.

Reply: Because of Ronald Commons, youth homelessness has reduced significantly in Shoreline.

Why do we have to have a low barrier facility? Could we add some barriers to alleviate some concerns?

Reply: I think It is possible to negotiate the terms of the population it serves. Maybe that’s all on the table? We’re doing pretty well for women and children, but transitional housing for single adult males is tough. There is the partnering with the King County Housing farther north on Aurora, that is for the hard to serve. (The City of Shoreline, in partnership with King County, Community Psychiatric Clinic, and Catholic Housing Services, is developing 80-100 units of permanent supportive housing for people that were homeless or experiencing housing instability. This includes individuals dealing with chronic mental illness.) King County doesn’t have the time or money to house the goal of 6,000 people, so acquiring hotels or congregate care facilities like this one lowers the cost and brings a solution much quicker. That is the appeal of this facility.

Some Councilmembers were unaware of the daycare that has been there for 30 years. The owner is concerned that people won’t continue to bring their children there. There’s a children’s baseball center that has the same concern. Kids aged 10-18 hang out before and after events, meeting parents who are dropping off or picking up. There is a lot of youth activity that is unsupervised so it’s really important to recognize this issue. We need public input before it’s opened. The occupants should be required to take the services.

Reply: Neighboring businesses had the same fears in Kenmore. Let’s dialog and let’s learn. What is a “navigation center”? What does that mean? Fear is a natural response to limited knowledge. There is drug activity occurring now in public without a Navigation Center.

We need to work with the community to recognize their needs so they feel safe and secure. But if you think about it, apartments are low barrier and so are single family homes.

Reply: The long term vision is permanent housing.

(Comment: the operations of the Navigation Center, including staffing, services provided and rules of conduct, were not included in the staff report for the August 10th meeting.)

Please provide an update on the King County Charter Amendments

Reply: Every 10 years King County reviews their Charter to make sure it’s fresh. Several proposed amendments will be on the November ballot.

There are clerical changes such as changing “citizen” to “resident” and conforming language to current State law to make surplus property available below market value when used for affordable housing; Subpoena power for the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO). This citizens group represents the interests of the public in its efforts to hold the King County Sheriff’s Office accountable for providing fair and just police services; Modifications to Inquests when there’s an in-custody death in jail or by police; Allowing County Council to establish or modify the duties of the King County Sheriff; and Return to King County Sheriff as an Appointed Position for the ability to recruit nationwide, hire a Sheriff who is not a politician since they would not be elected, and ease of making changes to the position if necessary. Incidentally, cities like Shoreline who don’t have their own police force don’t get to vote for the Sheriff. Voters in Seattle, Kent ,Renton, Bellevue, Auburn and others that have their own police departments do.

Study Item 9(b) Discussion of Updates on Secure Scheduling

The staff report was presented by

Emily Rankin, City Manager’s Office Fellow
Christina Arcidy, CMO Management Analyst

On March 27, 2017, staff presented a discussion summarizing the intent and scope of secure scheduling regulations implemented in the city of Seattle. 

The Seattle Ordinance provided predictable hours and pay, advance notice of work schedules, the right to request schedule preferences and other employee rights for 1) retail and quick/limited food service establishments with more than 500 employees worldwide, and 2) full-service restaurant chains with more than 500 employees and 40 restaurant locations worldwide. Now that two years have passed, Council wanted to discuss the findings from the implementation and impact of Seattle’s ordinance, and determine if there is interest in implementing similar regulations in Shoreline.

A constantly changing schedule is bad for the employee and results in unpredictable pay and an inability to make a work/personal life balance. These jobs are held disproportionally by POC compared to city demographics.

After the first year, there was some improvement. However, managers were frustrated with the process and didn’t understand predictability pay. There was poor knowledge of the regulations among workers, especially those with limited English proficiency. Some corporations assigned a Human Resource person to assist, while others did not.

How would similar regulations affect Shoreline? The City would have to determine what regulations are appropriate here and what work places they would apply to. The City would have to develop penalty and enforcement mechanisms. This would entail outreach to businesses and employees, and an analysis of other cities. The Shoreline Municipal Code would have to be updated as appropriate. About 65 Shoreline businesses (2.25%) could be affected.

Because of the limited results and the use of resources, staff does not recommend moving forward with an Ordinance. It would be a big expense for a small proportion of jobs in Shoreline.

DISCUSSION

The purpose of the regulations is to make bad places better. Some businesses do it anyway, but this is intended for the ones that don’t. I don’t see expenditure of significant resources. It is a good way to make sure all Shoreline businesses are good places to work.

There was something in the staff report about a House and Senate bill? How expensive is it to pursue at the State level? Making the change at the State level would make more sense.

Reply by Assistant City Manager John Norris: There is some movement at the State level. We don’t know if it will move forward.

Does staff have time to start looking at an ordinance?

Reply: They would have to put this into their work plan after first establishing its priority. It might be next year before they can come back with an ordinance. It will definitely impact other work.

I’m trying to remember why we brought this up back in 2017. Were there employee issues in Shoreline? Or did we want to me-too with Seattle? Because right now, with the situation caused by the COVID pandemic, this is not the ideal time to address this. The businesses are working different hours with restricted customer access, some closed, some re-opened and closed again. They are working with limited staff and so forth. Maybe the State will address it. Why overwork our staff with something that’s not that critical. The cities mentioned in the staff report are much larger than Shoreline.

Appreciate the intent and the need to protect workers. In reality, this should have been addressed long ago. But the State level is better.

Council is generally in agreement to not move this forward at this time. Recent events have presented challenges with our budget as well as the problems the companies are having. If the City had additional resources, it would make more sense to put those funds towards diversity and inclusion. Do not view as a priority now.

Meeting adjourned.

Council held a Closed Session via Zoom following the meeting.

CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO RCW 42.30.140(4)(b) – Discussing Collective Bargaining

Per 42.30.140(4)(b) Council may hold a closed session to plan or adopt a strategy or position to be taken by the City Council during the course of any collective bargaining.




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Heron fishing for dinner at Richmond Beach

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

 



Jo Simmons caught this sequence at Richmond Beach. 

These herons are the scourge of goldfish ponds.



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North City Fire Station 63 opens new building with Push In ceremony

Shoreline Fire Station 63 is open for business

Photos by Mike Remarcke

The Shoreline Fire Department held a soft opening and Push In ceremony on Monday, August 17, 2020 to celebrate the completion of the North City Fire Station 63 at 1410 NE 180th St, just off 15th NE in the North City business district of Shoreline.

Shoreline Fire Chief Matt Cowan welcome the group
gathered inside the fire station


The station replaced an old station house, built over 50 years ago in the same location. The old station had undergone two major remodels over its lifetime and was starting to have many of its systems fail. Station 63 responds to calls from 145th to 205th in the eastern portion of Shoreline.

Monday's event was a small-scale celebration with the pushing in of a fire engine, blessing, and flag raising ceremony. Because of the pandemic, it was not open to the public, but Fire Chief Matt Cowan says they hope to have a full open house sometime later in September or October if gatherings are allowed.

The apparatus is pushed into the fire bay by a group of firefighters and staff. 


The traditional ceremony included the Push In, with firefighters pushing a fire truck into the firehouse. The tradition dates to the days of horse-drawn fire wagons. It was more feasible to push the wagons back into the stations than to train a team of horses to back up!

Firefighters and staff stand at attention as the flag is
raised in front of the station


The new building has four apparatus bays with three of them as drive through or with options to drive out the back. The first floor has offices, work areas and training room. The second floor has crew quarters and mechanical spaces. 

There is a training area on the back of the building which includes the second story roof to practice ladder rescues.

The bays are full, the flag is raised, staff is at attention


Shoreline Fire celebrated the start of construction on its newest fire station with a groundbreaking ceremony on April 16, 2019. Construction was able to continue during the pandemic shut-down. 

The station remained in operation throughout the demolition, site prep, and construction. The new Storage Building and Modular Unit at the back of the site served as temporary fire facilities while the new building was under construction.


Correction: groundbreaking was April 16, 2019, not 2020

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Stolen goods from Lake Forest Park recovered from burglary suspect arrested in Woodland, Washington

Woodland Police Department. An L-shaped one story
building, white with a gray roof and a flagpole.



According to a story in The Daily News from Woodland, Washington, a suspect arrested on suspicion of burglaries and car prowls was in possession of goods stolen from multiple cities in Washington state, including Lake Forest Park.

Woodland is in the Longview area 20 miles north of Vancouver, Washington.

Police arrested Zachary Irwin Pond, 34, during a suspicious vehicle call on Saturday morning. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Cheney, Washington, and police suspected Pond of stealing it.

During a later investigation, police found several stolen items in the car. The items belonged to people in Cheney, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Lake Forest Park and Woodland, according to the post. 
Pond apparently stole the items during vehicle prowls and occupied residential burglaries, or a burglary that happens while the residents are in their homes.


The Woodland police department has logged in "sporting equipment, golf clubs, fishing stuff,some tools and alcohol ... and a suitcase with clothing,” 

“The good thing is that we actually have been able to tie the victims that we’ve talked to back to a lot of this stuff, so they will be getting their property back. That’s rare.”




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Case updates August 17, 2020

The graph is positive cases in Shoreline by test date. These is a steep rise from Feb 25 to Mar 26 with a sharp spike of 25 cases on March 25. With two major spikes of 22 and 13, the curve climbs down to a steady low period from May 15 to about June 23 when it starts climbing again. There is a steady climb, not as high as before, until July 31 when it starts back downward. The black line showing the curve is an average as some days show only 2 cases while others spike to 8 or 9.


The State Department of Health reported a total of 68,264 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on August 17. There have been 1,809 COVID-19 deaths in Washington.

In King County, we still need to be vigilant. Positive cases have been relatively stable since July 20th – our 7 day moving average has been about 130 daily cases for the last 10 days. Our target is to be less than 40 positive cases per day in King County.

But we know what to do to keep the trend moving downward again – stay home if you can, and wear a cloth face covering in indoor public spaces, and outdoors when unable to stay 6 feet apart from others.

Case updates August 17, 2020

United States
  • cases 5,422,242 including 40,117 new cases in the past 24 hours
  • deaths 169,870 including 520 new deaths in the past 24 hours
Washington state
  • cases 68,264 includes 543 new within 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 6,358 includes 103 new within 24 hours
  • deaths 1,809 includes 24 reported within 24 hours
King county
  • tested 327,109 - 4,343 reported in previous 24 hours
  • cases 17,989 - 165 in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 2,115 - 6 in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 696 - 5 in previous 24 hours
Shoreline
  • tested 8,932 - 76 new in previous 24 hours
  • cases 541 - 2 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 1,914 - 15 in previous 24 hours
  • cases 51 - 0 new in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 3 - 0 new
  • deaths 0 - 0 new


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Families notified of Shoreline Schools daily schedule for remote learning

This communication was sent to all families with children enrolled in Shoreline Schools.

Dear Shoreline Schools Families,

We are happy to share that we have finalized the daily schedules for Remote Continuous Learning 2.0 in partnership with the Shoreline Education Association.

The schedules linked below were developed with a focus on providing students with a robust learning model of high-quality synchronous (educator-led online learning together at the same time) and asynchronous (educator-directed individual student learning) teaching and learning opportunities. The schedules will allow our educators to develop and provide exceptional learning opportunities and connections for all of our students and families.

The values embedded in the schedules include:
  • Providing high-quality and age-appropriate learning opportunities for students through online synchronous learning balanced with offline asynchronous learning. This will offer robust “live” instruction with their teachers and support independent and small group work or individual to balance a healthy amount of screen time for students.
  • Built-in opportunities for interventions with students who are not fully engaged or who need additional support.
  • Provisions for ensuring special programs student needs.
  • Providing opportunities for social and emotional learning and support.
  • Planning time and professional development for teachers built into the schedules to provide regular opportunities for them to prepare for teaching in a very different remote learning environment than we experienced in the spring.
  • Schedules meet the number of hours of instruction required by the State.

Additional Middle and High School Schedule Information

We are also implementing a class schedule at the middle and high schools that better supports our students in a school year when we anticipate transitioning from Remote to Hybrid to Fully In-Person models of instruction. This new schedule is one we are calling the 3 x 3 Schedule.

In a 3 x 3 Schedule, middle and high school students will:
  • Participate in a maximum of three classes per grading period;
  • Experience a reduced workload in the number of classes they will need to manage while also navigating a new on-line learning environment;
  • Access deeper and more concentrated learning experiences;
  • Experience smaller class sizes in order to personalize learning as well as support social interactions between students and between teachers and students.

Links to Elementary and Secondary Schedules

Links to the daily learning schedules for elementary (K-5) and secondary (6-12) grade levels are below. Families will receive more detailed information and guidance from their child’s school and teacher regarding Remote Continuous Learning 2.0.

While we are in Remote Continuous Learning 2.0, all schools will use the times outlined in the schedules.



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Win up to $50 in free market food this Sunday at the LFP Farmers Market AND get a free mask



Sunday, August 23, 2020 the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market celebrates Marvelous Masks and Super Selfie Day with two chances to win free market goodies!


It’s easy to enter. Here’s how:
  • Wear your favorite, fun, or most YOU mask/face covering to the market Sunday, 10-2. Silly, serious, or fashion forward, show off your personality.
  • Take a selfie in your mask while you’re at the market.
  • Post your selfie to Instagram or Facebook by Friday, August 28, 2020 at noon. Be sure to tag @ThirdPlaceCommons and use the hashtag #LFPMarketMasks.

Two winners will be selected. First prize will be selected at random to win $50 in free market goods. In addition, a Best Mask Bonus Prize winner will be selected by judges to receive $25 in market money. (All prizes paid in market currency.) Winners will be contacted via the same social media channel on which they posted.

Don’t have a fancy mask? No worries. Since the first prize winner will be selected at random, everyone is eligible, fancy mask or not.

The market will also be handing out free cloth face coverings throughout the day (one per person while supplies last). So be sure to stop by the Info Booth to get one while they last.

So find your favorite mask and make sure it’s clean because Marvelous Masks and Super Selfie Day is nearly here!

And don’t forget that the TPC Awesome Auction-a-thon Auction #2 is still going on, with bidding open now through Friday (8/21/20) at noon. Auction proceeds benefit Third Place Commons and the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market. See the auction post on Facebook and bid right in the comments section for your chance to win a beautiful piece of art.


The Lake Forest Park Farmers Market is a program of Third Place Commons, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization celebrating its 20th anniversary of building real community in the heart of Lake Forest Park. Learn more, or to make a gift to support the market and the Commons, HERE.



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Shoreline police arrest suspect attempting to break car window

Male with longish hair, wearing brown patterned 
shirt and black sweatshirt with wrinkled green 
sleeves being escorted by police officer. An officer 
in the background goes through a green 
backpack. A blank oval covers the man's face. 
Photo courtesy KCSO


On Wednesday August 13, 2020, at approximately 10:20am, the King County 911 communications center received a call from the 17500 block of Midvale Ave N in Shoreline. 

The caller was reporting a male attempting to break a vehicle window by hitting it with an unknown type object. It also appeared as if the male was under the influence of an unknown substance.

When Shoreline Deputies arrived on scene they found an occupied Toyota Corolla, with multiple marks on the front passenger window as if it had been struck and scratched repeatedly. 

A male was inside the Corolla at the time and admitted that the vehicle was not his.

The deputies placed the male in handcuffs and advised he was under arrest for Malicious Mischief and read him his rights. The male admitted to illegally entering the vehicle to take a nap.

King County Deputies were able to find the owner of the vehicle, who was willing to assist in a prosecution for the damages.

The male was taken to SCORE jail. 

Reminder: KCSO does not show faces of arrestees who have not yet been charged.



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Shoreline firefighter at Badger Lake fire in Spokane county

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Photos courtesy Shoreline Fire

One of our Shoreline firefighters was deployed with Woodinville on Brush 131 at the Badger Lake Fire in Cheney. It’s over 200 acres and has taken out some structures. It’s 100 degrees out and continues to have flare ups.

State fire assistance has been mobilized in support of local firefighters working to contain the Badger Lake Fire located in Spokane County, near Cheney.

The Badger Lake Fire is burning in grass and trees. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources on August 16, 2020, at 7:30pm at the request of Fire Chief Cody Rohrbach, Spokane County Fire District 3.

The Badger Lake Fire started on August 16, 2020, at approximately 5pm. This fire is estimated at 200 acres and growing. It is threatening 50-70 homes. Level 2 evacuations are in effect at this time.

The fire cause is currently under investigation.




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Heather Fralick will leave the Shoreline School Board Sept 12

Heather Fralick will leave the Shoreline
School Board Sept 12, 2020
Heather Fralick, School Board Director for Director District 2 and current President of the Board, announced that she is resigning her position, effective September 12, 2020. 

She provided a statement about this decision at the August 17 school board meeting which can be found below. Director Fralick was sworn onto the Board on December 4, 2017. 

“I want to thank Director Fralick for her service, support and leadership during her tenure on our school board,” said Superintendent Rebecca Miner. 
“She has been a passionate advocate for our community’s children and I am grateful for her incredible commitment and service to our students, staff and families. We are a better organization because of her efforts.”

Shoreline Public Schools will begin to look for a replacement for Director Fralick, as well as Director David Wilson who previously announced his resignation, in the near future. Information about that process will be shared on the District’s website and through Shoreline Area News.

Text of Director Fralick’s Statement

I ran for office to make sure that the Shoreline School District remained one of the best districts in Washington State. We have an incredible and energetic Superintendent, a dedicated administrative team, and some of the best teachers and classified staff in the area. We also are very lucky to have a community that cares deeply about public education and tax ourselves to fund our schools.

It is an honor to serve our community as your Director and I appreciate the confidence my colleagues on the Board placed in me when they selected me as President.

Because of unanticipated circumstances, I must focus on taking care of my family. No one can take my place in my family, but there are many community members who are committed to public education and the best outcomes for our kids. After a lot of thought and consideration, I am resigning my position as President of the Board and Director Position 2, effective on September 12, 2020.

We have an amazing group of employees working in our district in a number of visible and unseen positions. Our certificated staff and teachers, our incredible administrators, our classified staff, including para-educators and office staff, maintenance and custodial staff, kitchen workers, bus drivers, and before- and after- care providers all contribute to the continued success of our district.

I do want to especially thank the two individuals with whom I have worked most closely with as a board member - Kathie Schindler for her incredibly instrumental work supporting the Board. I also have deep respect for the unwavering leadership, dedication, and experience of our Superintendent. I know that Dr. Miner has had many sleepless nights to make sure that our children are safe and receive the best education possible. She, along with her administrative team, have bent over backwards to help me and the Board understand how the district works and are spending long hours responding to the challenges of providing education in the middle of a pandemic.

I am reminded, time and again, how important it is to believe the best in people and that our district is continually working to create better learning opportunities for each student. It is a reality that public education in our State, and our country, remains underfunded. I will continue to advocate for the full funding of public education, especially funding for special education.

I know our district has made progress over the past few years. We’ve made equity a goal and there is ongoing work to create an ethnic studies curriculum. One of my proudest moments was voting to name the Early Learning Center after Shoreline resident and Seattle NAACP President Edwin Pratt. We’ve also seen the emergence of some tremendous student leaders who are challenging our community to address the concerns of Shoreline youth.

Our Board and our district succeeds with the support and input of the community. I benefitted from the comments from the community, and I am confident that our community will continue to participate and engage with the Board.

Thank you to my colleagues on the Board for their time, patience, guidance and collegiality: Mike Jacobs, Dick Nicholson, Dick Potter, Sara Betnel, Meghan Jernigan, Rebeca Rivera, and David Wilson.




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Color abounds

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Masses of delicate white flowers each with four petals spread out like a propeller. A bunch of yellow stamens bristle up from the center of each flower. Spears of dark green leaves point toward the ground below them.


Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Ground cover with tiny tiny green leaves and hundreds of tiny deep purple flowers with barely visible yellow centers are planted in a raised bed over a stone wall pieced together with individual flat rocks.

  Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Half a dozen orange and gold tulips reach toward the sun. One in the middle is still folded up on itself and appears to be completely buttery yellow. The petals on the others color fade from yellow to deep orange, top to bottom. Their stiff pointed green leaves stand up around them.



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Free online cooking class: Savory pies and tarts

Savory Pies and Tarts

Wednesday, August 19, 4-5pm

Free
For teens and adults. Join pastry chef Laurie Pfalzer for an informative class on making pies and tarts the savory way. 

Laurie will demonstrate a classic, all-butter pie crust that is flaky and flavorful. Then she will show you how to create hand pies and rustic tarts with the best-of-the-season vegetables and optional meat. 

These pies and tarts are a perfect outlet for your summer garden bursting with vegetables and herbs, and all year long.

Register HERE. 
Each person who registers will receive a Zoom link.



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Third Place Books presents Margaret Owen, in conversation with Tara Sim


Margaret Owen, in conversation with Tara Sim - The Faithless Hawk

Tuesday, August 18, 2020 - 7:00pm



Kings become outcasts and lovers become foes in The Faithless Hawk, the thrilling sequel to Margaret Owen's The Merciful Crow. Join us for this virtual launch event!

As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she's hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky, signaling the death of King Surimir and the beginning of Queen Rhusana's merciless bid for the throne.
With the witch queen using the deadly plague to unite the nation of Sabor against Crows--and add numbers to her monstrous army--Fie and her band are forced to go into hiding, leaving the country to be ravaged by the plague. However, they're all running out of time before the Crows starve in exile and Sabor is lost forever.
A desperate Fie calls on old allies to help take Rhusana down from within her own walls. But inside the royal palace, the only difference between a conqueror and a thief is an army. To survive, Fie must unravel not only Rhusana's plot, but ancient secrets of the Crows--secrets that could save her people, or set the world ablaze.

Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow was born and raised at the end of the Oregon Trail and has worked in everything from thrift stores to presidential campaigns. The common thread between every job can be summed up as: lessons were learned. She now spends her days writing and negotiating a long-term hostage situation with her two monstrous cats. In her free time, she enjoys exploring ill-advised travel destinations and raising money for social justice nonprofits through her illustrations. She resides in Seattle, Washington. You can find her on Twitter!

Tara Sim is the author of the Scavenge the Stars duology and the Timekeeper trilogy who can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she’s not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, murder, and explosions. Follow her on Twitter at @EachStarAWorld, and check out her website for fun extras at tarasim.com.

By Margaret Owen
$18.99
ISBN: 9781250191946
Availability: On our shelves now at one or more of our stores
Published: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) - August 18th, 2020
206-366-3333



  

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