Lake Forest Park Rotary meetings Wednesday mornings - September schedule

Wednesday, September 9, 2020



Coffee Klatch at 7:45a and Meeting from 8a to 9a
Lake Forest Park Rotary Zoom Meeting
This is a recurring meeting every Wednesday after 7:45am

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 225 797 7384


Sep 09, 2020

Mr. Larry French
Food Quality Expert, 'Food Safety during COVID'

Sep 16, 2020
The spread of misinformation in the era of Covid-19

Sep 23, 2020
Intro to the Eastside Legal Assistance Program

Sep 30, 2020
Solid Ground works to keep people in their homes and rapidly rehouse those who lose their housing.




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Samantha Bee with Pramila Jayapal - what it means to be progressive


Samantha Bee, star of the tv show Full Frontal, did a long segment with Washington's 7th district congressional representative Pramila Jayapal on "What it means to be progressive."

In an election year, where we face a choice between a raging, alt-right bigot or a moderate establishment democrat, what’s a progressive to do? Rep. Pramilia Jayapal has some thoughts.

View the segment HERE

The 7th District includes portions of south Snohomish county, all of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, north Seattle, northwest Seattle, Burien, and Vashon Island.



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Protect Yourself from Coronavirus Scams and ID Theft

Protect Yourself from Coronavirus Scams 
and ID Theft
Saturday, September 12, 2-3pm
Virtual presentation

Scammers often prey on the vulnerabilities of individuals and the COVID-19 outbreak has created an opportunity for scammers and identity thieves to prey on consumers.

A representative from the Washington State Attorney General's Office will provide information about identity theft and scams, particularly those related to COVID-19, how you can protect yourself and your loved ones, and how to recover if your identity is stolen or you fall victim to a scam.

An opportunity to ask questions and get answers will be provided.

Register HERE

You will be emailed a Zoom invite the day before the program.




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Senior Center TeleCafe: Decluttering

Tuesday, September 8, 2020


Decluttering 101 with Brad Vogel, SnowGroup, KellerWilliams
Wednesday, September 9, 2020, 2pm

Innovative ideas on how to use your “sheltering at home” time to sort and organize items in your home. Join Brad and learn practical and innovative ideas on getting “decluttered.”

  • What: A Zoom social hour, a chance to visit while staying home and staying safe. Grab a cup of coffee and pull up to chat!
  • Who: You and your friends from the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center
  • Where: From the comfort of your own computer or smartphone
  • When: September 9th, 2:00pm
  • Meeting ID: 859 8484 8513
  • Password: senior2020

Check out what's coming the rest of September!

9/16 Mental health services for seniors, family and friends with Alain Rhone,
Sound Generations, Community Support Specialist, Pathways – Information and Assistance
Wondering where to locate help and support, and what to expect?
Join us in the Tele Café with Alain for information on counseling, coaching and case management, peer support, psychiatry and emergency/crisis mental health services; cost, insurance coverage, phone-based services, and information about the involuntary commitment process.

9/23 LET’S TALK DEMENTIA with Trevor Duncan, Psy.D., ABVE/D, IPEC, CDMS
Sage Assessment, Counseling, and Consulting, LLC

What is dementia? Discuss and explore tips with Trevor Duncan on how to communicate and interact with a person who has been diagnosed with dementia. Trevor specializes in Neuropsychological and Psychological Evaluations, Forensic Vocational Expert, Vocational Evaluations.

9/30 Ingredients for Longevity with Christy Goff, MS, RDN, CD
Dietitian for Living Well Alliance Team | Pacific Medical Centers

ZOOM TUTORIAL




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Flicker photo

Photo by Richard Shilling


Our bird bath attracts a lot of visitors: birds, cats, squirrels.  A flicker is not a common visitor.

--Richard Shilling, Richmond Beach



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William “Bill” George Atkinson 1962 - 2020

Bill Atkinson
1962-2020

William “Bill” George Atkinson
July 28, 1962 – September 4, 2020

Bill passed away peacefully at his home in Skykomish, Washington, September 4, 2020.

He was born at Northwest Hospital in Seattle, Washington to Bill and Carol Atkinson. He was the youngest of nine children.

He leaves behind his eight siblings: Steve Turk, Nancy (Atkinson) Watkins, Eric Turk, Marc Turk, David Atkinson, Missy (Turk) Long, John Turk, and Scott Erskine.

Bill grew up in Shoreline, attending Ridgecrest Elementary, Morgan Jr. High, and Shorecrest High School before moving to Ballard. He graduated from Ballard High School in 1980. 

He worked for Olympic Boat Center for 30-years and was a life-long BoatNut. He enjoyed old cars and loved music. 

Some of his best memories were with the Ballard Chorale. He loved Skykomish and spent countless hours helping the PCT hikers. He was “dad” to eight exchange students from all over the world.

After many years of struggling with a bad heart, in December of 2016 Bill was the recipient of a new heart. He handled a very difficult recovery in record time and enjoyed his new-found energy. He considered it an honor to receive his donors’ heart and was thankful to have a new, healthy start.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Carol Atkinson.

“Fair winds and following seas”

In lieu of flowers donation can be sent to the Heart Institute at the University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, 3rd Floor, Seattle, WA 98195.




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Wildfire smoke and COVID-19; burn ban in King and Snohomish counties; evacuations at Bonney Lake near Tacoma

Large number of Pierce county deputies and police officers from Bonney Lake/Sumner are walking along Myers road trying to get water on rooftops and vegetation to save evacuated homes. Fire is very close to homes but thankfully no structures lost in this neighborhood at this point. Photo courtesy Pierce County Sheriff's Office.


Wildfire smoke can cause symptoms that range from the annoying — eye, nose, and throat irritation — to the dangerous — wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Wildfire smoke is especially harmful for children, pregnant women, and people who are over 65. 

And if you already have a heart or lung condition like asthma or COVID-19, breathing in wildfire smoke can make it worse.

Burn bans have been issued in both King and Snohomish counties. 

Fires are burning on both sides of the mountains. People near Myers Road and SR 410 near Bonney Lake are being evacuated from their homes.

Take steps to keep wildfire smoke out of the house and have better indoor air quality.
  • You can do this by improving filtration and creating a clean air room in your home. If you create a homemade box fan air filter, never leave it unattended. Left alone, it is a fire hazard.
  • When the air quality is poor, don’t add to indoor air pollution by burning candles or incense, or smoking inside.
  • Close windows and doors when it’s smoky outside but open windows and let in fresh air when there’s better air quality outside.
  • Wear your cloth face covering to slow the spread of COVID-19, but don’t think it is protecting you from the smoke. It keeps droplets from spreading, but lets dangerous microscopic smoke particles right in.
Stay informed about wildfire smoke on the Washington Smoke Information blog and your local clean air agency’s website.

For more information to protect your health visit DOH's Smoke from Fires web page.



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COVID-19 reporting impacted by wildfires

DOH operations were severely impacted by wind storm damage and many services were unavailable this afternoon, including the DOH website and phones. Given the interruptions, DOH was not be able to update COVID-19 data today.

This affects not only the state reporting, but also King county and its cities.

They expect to be online for tomorrow's reports.



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SLAM camps for middle and high school students



Middle School and High School SLAM are safe, fun, and enriching camps designed to let your tween or teen get their schoolwork done and engage in some social interaction.

Each day offers distance-learning support from staff as well as group sports, games, art, and activities. Camps are weekly and Wednesdays include extended hours.

Both are located at the Richmond Highlands Recreation Center and will have unique activities and offerings that appeal to each age group.

The high school camp is free and the middle school camp is $50/week or free with scholarship.

For more information and to register, please visit https://shorelinewa.maxgalaxy.net/

If you have questions about registration, call the Spartan Recreation Center at (206) 801-2600

For questions about high school camp contact Waldo at wnambo-ojeda@shorelinewa.gov and for questions about middle school camp contact Austin at aedge@shorelinewa.gov



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Dinner and a show by a pileated woodpecker



Will Hall and Laurie Lindblad were having a backyard dinner at their home in Shoreline when a young pileated woodpecker decided to also have dinner and landed on the suet feeder hanging above them.



And while we waited for it to get dark for a backyard movie, the pileated put on a shadow show for us.



--Photos by Will Hall



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46th Legislative Democrats meet Wednesday

The 46th Legislative Democrats will meet Wednesday, September 16th online with Zoom.The opening program will be at a special time: 6:30pm. 

Register for the meeting here to receive updates and information on how to join.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

DEI Program: From 6:30-7:30pm we'll host our next special social justice/DEI session focused on Criminal Justice Reform. 

Would you like to learn more about policy related to topics like 'Defunding the Police', 'Restorative Justice', and 'Decriminalization'? 

We'll have a two part session to talk about these issues and more.

Linnea Lassiter, a native Seattleite and criminal justice policy wonk at Pew Charitable Trusts, will present on criminal justice issues. Then she'll be joined by elected officials who are driving important policy in these areas for a Q/A session.




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North City Tech Meetup: Non-Rectangular Phones for Non-Rectangular People



North City Tech Meetup: Non-Rectangular Phones for Non-Rectangular People
Presented by Christina Cyr


Monday September 14, 2020
Online Zoom Meeting
7 to 9pm

Free and open to everyone


Meeting ID: 862 7573 0875

Password: 067493


Non-Rectangular Phones for Non-Rectangular People

Since the launch of the touchscreen smartphone in 2007, there has been a lack of unique mobile phone designs. Technological advancements have allowed for customization and improvements to many aspects of your life, but why not the ergonomics and style of your phone?

The Cyrcle Phone is a unique smartphone that fits better in the hand for less fatigue, and with images that are better shaped for absorption by the brain. A lot of science and technology is behind this phone, but initially people tend to choose it simply because it is refreshingly different than the devices which have been on the market for the last 10 years.

But how difficult is it to design a non-rectangular smartphone these days? Christina Cyr will go into the unusual design of the device, the supply challenges her team has overcome, the navigation of mobile industry politics, and the process of bringing a fully functional smartphone to market.

Christina Cyr is the CEO and Founder of dTOOR & The Cyrcle Phone. A pre-sale campaign for The Cyrcle Phone 4G LTE Android 9 will be launched this year. Previously dTOOR held a successful Kickstarter campaign with a 2G prototype of The Cyrcle Phone, and delivered all rewards (phones, classes, t-shirts, etc.) to backers in less than 60 days! Christina has degrees in biochemistry and physics, a master’s in engineering, and a life-long passion for electronics.


ZOOM Information:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89894661407?pwd=aHIzeG56OEFIMHpKUVNzbjd4QnQ0dz09
Meeting ID: 898 9466 1407
Password: 008574

The North City Tech Meetup is a free meetup, usually the first Monday of each month at one of our local libraries: Lake Forest Park, Shoreline or Kenmore. People of all levels of interest and experience are encouraged to attend. There is always time for introductions and discussions. Skip the traffic and join with your fellow north-enders once a month for interesting presentations and discussions.

For the time being all North City Tech Meetups will be online using Zoom.

Upcoming event: November 5: Restoring the Apollo Guidance Computer: Lessons from a 50-year-old system - Presented by Ken Shirriff





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Case updates September 6, 2020

Case updates September 6, 2020
As we did not publish yesterday, figures represent two days worth


United States - case totals are reported in 7 day increments
  • cases 6,261,216
  • deaths 188,513

Washington state - *the state is no longer reporting deaths on weekends / holidays
  • cases 77,545
  • hospitalizations 6,913
  • deaths* 1,953

King county
  • cases 20,320
  • hospitalizations 2,264
  • deaths 734

Shoreline - population 56,752 (2018)
  • cases 563 - 1 new
  • hospitalizations 100
  • deaths 60

Lake Forest Park - 13,569 (2018)
  • cases 61
  • hospitalizations 3
  • deaths 1


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Cartoon Kahoot! Trivia for teens and adults


Cartoon Kahoot! Trivia

Thursday, September 10, 4-5pm

Registration required HERE

For teens and adults. Join KCLS online for Kahoot! Trivia, every Thursday afternoon through October 29th. This week is Cartoon based trivia! We will feature different cartoons spanning multiple age ranges.

You can play along at home on Zoom as an individual or as a team with members of your household. Each person who registers will receive a Zoom invitation to join the fun on the day of the event.

To participate, you will need a computer or laptop that allows a split screen option or two devices, one to run the Zoom app and one to run the Kahoot app.



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Cedric heard that photog was looking for bird's tongue portraits, and he obliged!

Photo by Gloria Z Nagler




Cedric's a Cedar Waxwing, (Bombycilla cedrorum), of which I've seen only two so far. Gotta visit the wetlands more often! They are so named because of the red wax-like wing-tips (visible here on one wing) and because they like to munch on cedar cones. Me, I love Cedric's mask!
--Gloria Z Nagler



[Cedric has soft, downy looking gold feathers on his body. Besides the red wing tips, his tail feathers are black with gold tips. He has a sharply pointed black beak - the color continues as a Lone Ranger mask over his eyes. He wears a backwards gold cap. His beak is open and his tongue is visible. Ed.] 



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Smoke from eastern Washington wildfires in Puget Sound


Winds are bringing smoke from east of the Cascades into King County.

On Monday, the State Fire Marshal's Office announced mobilizations for five major fires:
  • Apple Acres fire - Chelan county near the town of Chelan
  • Babb Road fire - Spokane county near the town of Spangle
  • Whitney fire - Lincoln county near the town of Davenport
  • Colfax fire - Whitman county near the town of Colfax
  • Pearl Hill/Cold Spring fire - Okanogan county near the city of Okanogan

The National Weather Service and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency expect the smoke to stick around thru the middle of the week.

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is monitoring the area quality of the region. You can view air quality around your home here. Fine particles of ash were falling during the early morning hours on Tuesday.

Follow guidance put out by Public Health Seattle – King County on how to respond to wildfire smoke.

The King county sheriff's office would appreciate it very much if you did not call 911 for smoke in the air.

Residents of King County are encouraged to sign-up for ALERT King County to get timely information on emergency situations. For information specific to air quality, sign-up for Puget Sound Clean Air Agency alerts.

Wildfires, smoke and dust storms have closed major highways throughout Central and Eastern Washington, including I-90 from Ritzville to the Grant County line. 

Two places you can check to see what's closed and when highways will reopen:

For more information and guidance, visit www.kingcounty.gov/prepare and follow King County on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram .




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32nd Democrats meet Wednesday on zoom

32nd Legislative District Democrats meet Wednesday, September 9, 2020 on zoom

Register in Advance HERE

Sign in at 6:30pm, meeting begins at 7pm with Congressman Rick Larson

The agenda includes Final Endorsements and Nominations of the 2020, and conversation how to help the Post Office.




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Every Vote Counts! A two-part series on democratic process


Every Vote Counts! A two-part series on democratic process


Third Place Commons programs have moved online with a calendar full of free programs to bring you and your Commons community together all month long.

In addition to weekly Spanish, French, and German conversation groups and other fun monthly offerings, this month the Commons features two special programs just in time for election season.

Every Vote Counts! A Two-Part Series on Democratic Process takes a look at vital nuts and bolts of democracy from registering voters to how their votes are counted.


First up, on Wednesday, Sept. 23rd at 7pm, Third Place Commons partners with the League of Women Voters to present “Be a Voter Ambassador through Touchless Voter Registration!” 

In this program, you will learn how to register to vote in Washington and how to teach others to use their phones to register. The webinar will also take a look at the barriers that new voters experience and how to overcome them. Register here.


On Wednesday, Sept. 30th at 7pm, sign in for “Fostering Democracy through Ranked Choice Voting,” presented by FairVote Washington. Ranked Choice Voting provides a more meaningful way for people to vote and completely eliminates the need to vote for “the lesser of two evils.” Join in this informative session to find out more about how it works and how to make it happen. Register here.


As always, all events from Third Place Commons are free, but registration for these sessions will be required for planning purposes. To register for each event, use the links above or visit the Third Place Commons online calendar, select the event you wish to attend, and click the Zoom link. (Recurring events do not require registration.)


Third Place Commons, a community supported 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is celebrating its 20th anniversary of building real community in the heart of Lake Forest Park. 

In addition to presenting its largest program, the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market, through October 18th, Third Place Commons now also fosters real community in digital space.

To learn more, or to make a gift to support the market and the Commons, visit ThirdPlaceCommons.org.



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Third Place Books presents Katie Hill, in conversation with Pramila Jayapal


Third Place Books presents Katie Hill, in conversation with Pramila Jayapal - She Will Rise

Thursday, September 10, 2020 - 7:00pm


This is a virtual event! Register for this livestream event here!

Former Congresswoman Katie Hill shares her experience with misogyny and double standards in politics to help women topple the longstanding power structures that prevent them from achieving equality.

Powerful women who dare to make mistakes still face swifter and more brutal consequences than men, as the events that precipitated Congressional representative Katie Hill's resignation, in which she was the victim of revenge porn, clearly demonstrate. But Katie Hill does not want women to be discouraged from taking positions of power -- in fact, the rampant misogyny we see is all the more reason for women to lead, to work to change the systems that have kept old, wealthy, white men in power for far too long.

In this book, to be published on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment (which gave women the right to vote), Katie Hill looks back on the progress we've made and outlines her battle plan for our future. 

She details how we can overcome the obstacles holding women back from achieving equal representation in positions of power to create the change we want for the next century. 

What challenges do women face in the modern era, and what battles will we need to fight in the years to come? Katie Hill is ready to equip readers for the front lines of leadership in all arenas, to guide women in becoming the warriors we need to shape this country for the better.

Katie Hill wasn't yet thirty when she embarked on her run for Congress. By thirty-one, she had become not only a member of Congress but a member of congressional leadership. Soon, she was the subject of an HBO docuseries entitled She's Running, a frequent and ratings-generating cable news guest, and one of the Democratic Party's brightest rising stars. 

Her campaign attracted the support of dozens of celebrities, including Kristen Bell, Chelsea Handler, Alyssa Milano, and Chris Evans, and she managed to flip a Congressional seat under decades of Republican control. 

She was the first woman to hold the seat, and the first openly LGBTQ woman to be elected to Congress from California. She resigned from her position less than a year after entering Congress, following a scandal that began a national conversation around questions of bisexuality, domestic abuse, cyber exploitation, workplace power dynamics, and what happens when regular people who live regular lives run for office.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal represents Washington's 7th District, which encompasses most of Seattle and surrounding areas. The first Indian American woman in the House of Representatives, Jayapal has spent nearly thirty years working internationally and domestically as an advocate for women's, immigrant, civil, and human rights. The author of Use the Power You Have (The New Press), she lives in Seattle, Washington.


She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior in the Battle for True Equality (Hardcover)
By Katie Hill
$28.00
ISBN: 9781538737002
Availability: Out of stock, usually available in 1-5 days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - August 11, 2020



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WeatherWatcher: Wildfire Smoke and Heatwave

Monday, September 7, 2020

Smokey sunset at Richmond Beach Salt Water Park
Smoky sunset over Olympics at Richmond Beach August 1, 2010.
Photo by Carl Dinse


We have an unusual late season heatwave that is moving its way into our region this week. This heatwave is actually being caused by an arctic high over the Rocky Mountains.

This has brought strong north winds over eastern Washington and strong northwest winds over western Washington today. The winds in eastern Washington fanned up some pretty large wildfires, all of which were man-made or caused by fallen power lines. These fires have generated enormous plumes of smoke. 

The winds also created a dust storm across the Columbia plateau. 

Visible color satellite image Monday September 7, 2020 at 6:36pm PST.


As the heatwave moves west over western Washington, the north winds have changed to east winds, bringing the smoke plume of the biggest wildfire in eastern Washington over the mountains and into the Puget Sound lowlands. Air quality has already started declining rapidly and is expected to be pretty unhealthy for everyone by Tuesday morning.

Apart from all the smoke, we are expecting clear nights and sunny skies all week and next weekend. 

Lows in the upper 50's to mid 60's and highs in the low to mid 80's, with the warmest day being Thursday possibly reaching up to the lower 90's. Winds are expected to continue to be breezy from the north and northeast. Wind gusts as high as 30 mph are expected at least through Wednesday evening.

Monday's winds reached a maximum gust at the Richmond Beach station of 28 mph. Our high temperature on Monday was 85°F east of 8th Ave NW, and around 78°F near the Puget Sound. 

Weather Watcher logo

For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com




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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Labor Day

Sunday, September 6, 2020

 

cartoon hot dog that says: Hot Dog it's Labor Day Weekend!

Previous cartoons by Whitney Potter HERE

Shoreline Area News will be taking the the morning off due to some technical difficulties. We will return Tuesday morning.




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Dougie says "You've been posting a lot of bird photos, lately"

Photo by Ken Berkun


Dougie is a native Douglas squirrel, but Ken Berkum claims he is named after Ken's father-in-law.

Dougie hangs out around Ken's house, encouraged, no doubt, by occasional treats.

Yes - Dougie - there have been a lot of bird photos - so now it's your turn.



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Third Place Books presents Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager, in conversation with Laurie Frankel - The Writer's Library



Tuesday, September 8, 2020 - 7:00pm



Twenty-three of today's living literary legends, including Donna Tartt, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Andrew Sean Greer, Laila Lalami, and Michael Chabon, reveal the books that made them think, brought them joy, and changed their lives in this intimate, moving, and insightful collection from American's Librarian Nancy Pearl and noted playwright Jeff Schwager that celebrates the power of literature and reading to connect us all.

Before Jennifer Egan, Louise Erdrich, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Jonathan Lethem became revered authors, they were readers. In this ebullient book, America's favorite librarian Nancy Pearl and noted-playwright Jeff Schwager interview a diverse range of America's most notable and influential writers about the books that shaped them and inspired them to leave their own literary mark.

Illustrated with beautiful line drawings, The Writer's Library is a revelatory exploration of the studies, libraries, and bookstores of today's favorite authors--the creative artists whose imagination and sublime talent make America's literary scene the wonderful, dynamic world it is. A love letter to books and a celebration of wordsmiths, The Writer's Library is a treasure for anyone who has been moved by the written word.


Bestselling author, librarian, literary critic, and devoted reader Nancy Pearl regularly speaks about the importance and pleasure of reading at libraries, literacy organizations, and community groups around the world. 

She can be heard on NPR's Morning Edition and KWGS-FM in Tulsa, Oklahoma, discussing her favorite books. Her monthly television show on the Seattle Channel, Book Lust with Nancy Pearl, features interviews with authors, poets, and other literary figures. 

Among her many honors are the 2011 Librarian of the Year Award from Library Journal and the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association. 

Nancy is the creator of the internationally recognized program If All of Seattle Read the Same Book, and was the inspiration for the Archie McPhee Librarian Action Figure.

Jeff Schwager is a Seattle-based writer, editor, producer, and playwright who has also had a successful career as an entertainment and media executive. He has written extensively on books, movies, music, and theater, and has interviewed many of the most esteemed artists in each of those mediums. In 2013, Book-It Repertory Theatre produced his acclaimed adaptation of Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son. The following year, the company's five-hour stage version of his dramatization of Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay won Theatre Puget Sound's prestigious Gregory Award for Outstanding Production of 2014.

The Writer's Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives (Hardcover)
By Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager
$27.99
ISBN: 9780062968500
Availability: Coming soon - available for pre-order now
Published: HarperOne - September 8th, 2020





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LFP Rotary Club and a river of crows

The UW Bothell loves its crows


By Cynthia Sheridan

“Crow Communication in Social Aggregations” presented by Asst Professor Doug Wacker

Asst. Prof Doug Wacker and crow
UW Bothell is home to Doug Wacker, Assistant Professor of Animal Behavior, and UW Bothell is also home to a large nocturnal crow roost on the adjacent North Creek Wetlands Restoration, likely consisting of ten to 15 thousand crows in the winter.

Recently Doug presented this fascinating crow story to the Lake Forest Park Rotarians via Zoom, including some amazing crow-crowded pictures. 

He discussed challenging his students, who operate in pairs, to look for the “predictable rivers of crows” as the birds form pre- and post-roost aggregations. 

Another challenge is to follow the crows and determine where they are coming from and how far they travel on their daily visits to the roost. 


Crows flying home to UW Bothell at sunset

Although Kenmore is a hot spot, these crows travel as much as 40 miles to roost at the UW Bothell campus. Students study how crows communicate on these aggregations and, more generally, how crows combine vocal and non-vocal behaviors to communicate in social groups.

Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Crows have dozens of distinct calls, with multiple variations in pitch and volume. It’s clear whether they’re scolding a predator or begging for food.

Undergraduate research assistants are recording audio and video of crows from a variety of contexts, and analyzing their data using audio analysis software.

In the future, they hope to incorporate the use of crow models and telemetry to further decipher whether and how crows might share information in social aggregations.

The returning ‘rivers” of crows are timed with sunset and leave the Bothell roost before sunrise. 

Sometimes ground roosting leads to occupation of the sports field on campus but the nearby North Creek Wetlands Reserve is the crows’ communal roost.

The crows will occasionally roost on the athletic fields but they normally roost in the wetlands on campus.

Winter is the best time to see the crows in action. According to the professor, incoming freshman are especially startled and impressed by UW Bothell’s unique aviary population.



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Case updates September 4, 2020

Case updates September 4, 2020

United States - case totals are reported in 7 day increments
  • cases 6,181,474 includes 290,942 cases in last 7 days
  • deaths 187,159

Washington state - *the state is no longer reporting deaths in the weekend releases
  • cases 76,836 includes 501 new within 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 6,842 includes -6 data correction
  • deaths* 1,953 includes 8 newly reported

King county
  • cases 20,165 - 92 in previous 24 hours
  • hospitalizations 2,259 - 10 in previous 24 hours
  • deaths 734 - 2 in previous 24 hours

Shoreline - population 56,752 (2018)
  • cases 562 - 0 new
  • hospitalizations 100 - 0 new
  • deaths 60 - 0 new

Lake Forest Park - 13,569 (2018)
  • cases 60 - 0 new
  • hospitalizations 3 - 0 new
  • deaths 1 - 0 new


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East Meets West in the Garden - fundraiser for Master Gardeners


Join the King County Master Gardener Foundation on Friday, September 11, for a cocktail-hour fundraising event, "East Meets West in the Garden," featuring well-known local gardening celebrities Dan Hinkley and Nita-Jo Rountree. Dan and Nita-Jo share their favorite plants and savor their shared histories as plant lovers and avid gardeners.

This event will raise money for the King County Master Gardener Program.
The Master Gardener Foundation of King County funds the activities and services of the Master Gardener Program throughout the county.

Registered guests will receive recipes for garden-infused cocktails. Guests will also be eligible to win door prizes provided by our generous donors.

Learn more and register here



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King County dedicates $41 million to COVID-19-related rental assistance and eviction prevention

Photo by Morning Brew on unsplash


Almost half the recent calls to King County’s 2-1-1- hotline were for assistance with housing. 

While eviction moratoriums are still in place, many people worry about how they will catch up on payments when those moratoriums expire. 

Individuals and families throughout King County economically impacted by COVID-19 due to illness, lost wages, and unemployment may apply for assistance through the King County Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program 

The new program dedicates $41.4 million for emergency housing aid and is expected to assist 7,700 to 10,000 households across the region. 

King County will use several approaches to serve as many households as possible, as quickly as possible. Funding is prioritized for the highest-need areas and individuals in King County. 

To be eligible for assistance, all tenants must have an income that is at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income over the past 60 days, and must be partially or fully behind at least one month of rent since March 1, 2020. 

Tenants must also meet one of several secondary criteria, such as having high rent burden, a history of homelessness or eviction, or a disability. Details are available HERE 



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Experimental Theatre / Production class to create fictional documentary about life in the time of pandemic


Shoreline Community College's Experimental Theatre/Production is a class (Drama 234, 207, and/or 208) where we will be creating a fictional documentary based on our experiences (real or imagined) occurring during the time of the Covid pandemic.

It is not just limited to experiences dealing with the pandemic itself, but also any of the historical events taking place — demonstrations for Black Lives Matter, police reform, etc.

The material used can be originally written monologues or scenes, that would be developed, rehearsed and performed by student actors. 

These pieces would be filmed and edited into a documentary. The class would be made up of actors, writers, and those who want to work on the technical end of a production. Bryar Golden will be directing and producing.





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$10 million ABCmouse settlement: Avoiding auto-renewal traps

Deceptive advertising from ABC Mouse


By Andrew Smith, Director, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection

Online subscription services can be a convenience for consumers and a boon for business – especially now that so many people are shopping from home.

But under the law, companies have an obligation to explain the details of the deal up front, clearly disclose any automatic renewal terms, get consumers’ express consent before billing, and offer simple ways to cancel.

The FTC just announced a $10 million settlement with online learning company ABCmouse for allegedly violating those established consumer protection principles. 

The case offers lessons for subscription-based businesses about the perils of snaring customers in a negative option trap.

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Sequoias in Twin Ponds arboretum

Sequoia sempervirens / coastal redwood


By Diane Hettrick
Photographs by Hitomi Dames

Photographer Hitomi Dames spends a fair amount of time hiking through the wild areas of Twin Ponds park at N 150th and 1st Ave N in Shoreline.


Neither of us realized that Twin Ponds holds an Arboretum until Hitomi discovered this sign and found the site map online


There are many familiar names on the volunteer list, like Dick Decker - but I only knew him in conjunction with volunteer work at Ronald Bog. According to the list, he put in 1200 hours working in the arboretum.

Sequoia sempervirens / coastal redwood trunk texture


Hitomi found the terrain challenging.

"So, I entered the Arboretum behind the tennis court. But I only walked the limited area because it’s pretty wild. I had hiking shoes on, but I wasn’t wearing a long sleeve shirt and long pants. So I got scratches on my legs and arms from thorns. (>_<)"

Sequoia sempervirens / coastal redwood's leaves


"However, it was worth visiting there even though it was a short visit. I discovered these trees! Although I can’t tell pine, cedar, fir, spruce, I can tell these are not them! \(^O^)/ "


Sequoia sempervirens / coastal redwood's leaves close-up


"I checked these trees’ names @the twin ponds website.

"How exciting! I never thought I would see Sequoiadendron and sequoia in Shoreline!"


Sequoiadendron giganteum


There are other big trees in the area but they are considerably younger and smaller. An organization called Moving the Giants to Puget Sound was here in 2017, providing 350 coastal redwood saplings to 30 communities in Puget Sound, including Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and Kenmore. 


Sequoiadendron giganteum's leaves


Each community took five to ten saplings and planted them in local parks.




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Stella wanted an action shot for her professional portrait,

Saturday, September 5, 2020


A Stellar jay is launching itself from a branch. The head is bending forward and the wings are half spread behind. The long outer feathers are black and the shorter inner feathers are the intense blue that jays are known for. The lighting makes the wings look translucent. This beautiful photo by Gloria Z Nagler



not another humdrum headshot... (Steller's Jays, aka Cyanocitta stelleri, are likely monogamous, mating for life -- and what a lovely mate they make!)

--Gloria Z Nagler





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Embrace Vertical Gardening: Embellish Your Garden with Vines

Laura Watson, master gardener


Because of the virus, the Lake Forest Park Garden Club meetings will be on Zoom this year.
 
September 8, 2020 Laura Watson, Master Gardener and Plant Amnesty. Meeting begins at 10am, with the speaker at 10:30am. The talk is 45 min to 1 hr.

Embrace Vertical Gardening: Embellish Your Garden with Vines

Learn the ins and outs of many vines, including wisteria, passion flower, clematis, akebia, honeysuckle and others. Laura frequently uses trees as ideal structure for vines. 
If you have questions about pruning vines Laura Watson is your person. She is a Master Gardener, a Plants Amnesty Master Pruner and a self confessed ‘Clemaniac.’

Non-members can attend by sending an email to janronzu@comcast.net. You will be sent the meeting link and password.

This should be an interesting program. Hope you can join us and maybe think about becoming a member. Dues are just $25 a year and you will get to hear some great speakers. In the coming future, we hope, we will resume the live meetings and the extra things the club does ie: Plant sale, Christmas party, Soiree, and summer picnic.



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