How to identify and avoid heat stroke

Friday, June 25, 2021


Hopefully no one will get to this point, but it's helpful to know the symptoms.

There are some local places you can go to cool off during the heat (Cooling Centers):
  • Lake Forest Park Library in Town Center at Bothell and Ballinger Way will be open on Friday and Saturday. 
  • Northgate Station - the remaining businesses from Northgate Mall are open and air conditioned.
  • Movie theaters - I believe the Crest at 5th and 165th is air conditioned (let me know if this is wrong) 
  • CERT Shoreline team has activated a cooling station for this weekend. Ronald United Methodist Church located at 17839 Aurora Ave N


Otherwise, stay home and drink lots of water. Water is going to be your friend this weekend. Stay hydrated and know the symptoms of dehydration. Find more tips at https://www.ready.gov/heat

And remember that it will never be as hot here as at Sea Tac airport with three runways of tarmac to retain and reflect heat.

--Diane Hettrick

Added: cooling station at Ronald Methodist Church



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Lots of freeway closures - but all at night

A detour route is always provided
around Sound Transit construction
If you travel at night, be aware of several highway projects that will close some sections of I-5 for a couple of days.

Work hours are generally 10pm to 4:30am more or less.

The state is resurfacing I-5 under the Revive I-5 project. They did our section of I-5 a couple of years ago.

The mainline in Seattle will be closed south of Freeway Park Friday night through Monday morning. All traffic will use the southbound collector/distributor.

In Mountlake Terrace, Sound Transit is going to work on the rail section that crosses I-5 on its way to Lynnwood. 

It will require an overnight closure June 26-27. Anyone traveling southbound will be routed off the freeway at 220th in Mountlake Terrace, to Hwy 99, and east along NE 205th (SR 104) to get back on the freeway.

Contractors will be doing a large concrete pour for the future elevated guideway over I-5. The work being performed will be along the southbound shoulders as well as in the center median of I-5 near the Mountlake Terrace Freeway station.

All the freeway entrances and exits have been closed at night at one time or the other during the Lynnwood Link construction. If you travel late just be prepared for random detours.

--Diane Hettrick



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Local fire departments train for water rescues

Water rescue training on Lake Washington
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire


Shoreline Fire trained for Surface Water Rescues this week as there have been many emergencies dealing with this recently.

Kirkland Fire hosted this training with Shoreline and Woodinville firefighters.

As temperatures climb, remember our waters are still cold. Always wear a life jacket while in the water. Stay safe!



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Shoreline Police: Prime Day is a prime time for porch thieves


With more of our shopping moving on-line, retailers are increasingly hosting mid-year sales landing more packages on our porches.

Around 4:00pm on Monday afternoon, June 21, 2021 King County deputies in Shoreline responded to the 14500 blk of 31st Ave NE after a homeowner learned that this man stole two Amazon packages from her porch just two minutes after they were delivered.


She captured these images of the unidentified suspect using her home security cameras. She found the discarded packaging nearby and learned her neighbor's porch was also pilfered. 

Gone were $83 in moving supplies. This is likely a disappointment for our thief but an expensive hassle for our caller.


Recognize this man? Please call the King County Sheriff's Office non-emergency number (206-296-3311) and reference case C21019265, so your tip may be shared with Shoreline detectives.



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Northshore Fire mourns the loss of Fire Commissioner Rick Verlinda

Rick Verlinda
It is with great sadness that Northshore Fire Department announces the loss of Fire Commissioner, Rick Verlinda. 

Commissioner Verlinda’s unexpected death is felt by many and our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.

A Kenmore resident for over 20 years, Rick was known for his “Halloween House” in Northshore Summit and spent most of the year creating exciting and scary props for the holiday. 

In 2017, Commissioner Verlinda was elected to the Board of Commissioners for Northshore Fire. 

He brought with him an extensive career with the Seattle Fire Department, where he worked for over 30 years serving in many positions, including Battalion Chief.

Rick was dedicated to improving public service, spending years working on national committees for the NFPA, in Union leadership, and consulting for multiple fire agencies. He was devoted to the men and women of the fire service and improving service to the communities they serve.



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Notes from Shoreline Council meeting June 21, 2021

Pam Cross, reporter
Shoreline City Council Meeting
June 21, 2021

Notes by Pam Cross

Mayor Hall called the remote meeting to order at 7:00pm.
Councilmember Roberts was excused for personal reasons.

Approval of the Agenda
Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.

Report of the City Manager, Debbie Tarry

COVID-19 UPDATE


UPDATE: The vaccination rate in Washington is at 67.8% according to the state Department of Health. Governor Inslee said officials will continue to stick to the plan of reopening the State on June 30 or when the benchmark is met - whichever happens first. (Seattle Times 06/23/2021)


Walk-in vaccinations are also available - no appointment necessary.

BLOOD DONATIONS

The need for blood donations has increased this year so blood donations are badly needed.


Both the Red Cross and Bloodworks NW are hosting area blood drives in the coming weeks. Red Cross appointments in Shoreline are currently full, but contact redcross.org/give-blood for new drive dates.

Bloodworks NW will be hosting drives on July 21, 22, 27 and 28 at Laurel Place in Seattle. This is next to the Bitter Lake Post Office at 911 N 145th St. You can make an appointment at
dslnk.co/ShorelinePopUp

TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN UPDATE

We are in the process of updating the City’s Transportation Master Plan and we want to hear from you. Help guide the City’s transportation improvements for the next 20 year by taking a short survey. For more information and to take the survey, go to shorelinewa.gov/tmp

SHORELINE WALKS

Southwest Shoreline Walk on June 26 at 10:00am will be exploring the area between Westminster Way and Aurora Ave, heading west on 145th St and walking the loop trail through Llandover woods. All participants are required to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Walk is approximately 3.5 miles or 2 hours and the walk rating is moderate (some hills and wooded trails). Friendly dogs on a leash are welcome. Meet at: Bank of America near Central Market (Shoreline Place: N 155th and Westminster Way)

PUBLIC REMINDERS

PRCS/Tree Board will hold a remote meeting on Thursday, June 26 at 7pm


Council Reports

Councilmember Chang
attended the meeting of the Regional Transit Committee. They approved the Guiding Principles that were mentioned last week. In addition to equity, we are going to be looking at growth areas and populations that have no transportation other than Metro. We hope this will be helpful. Metro’s Fall services changes will be implemented in October when the Northgate Light Rail Station opens. We’ll probably see more North-South routes in Shoreline.

Public Comment

Tamra Smilanich, North Seattle on Shoreline border
The City of Yelm recently passed a resolution in which the city will not collect employee information on vaccine status. She encourages Shoreline to do the same.

Ed Yasakawa, Seattle
The employees of the City of Shoreline should not be required to be vaccinated.

Jackie Kurle, Shoreline
Underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring and oversight of activities in the enhanced shelter and in proximity to it.

Approval of the Consent Calendar
Consent Calendar approved unanimously by a vote of 6-0.

8(a) Discussion of the 2020 Police Service Report

The 2020 Police Service Report (PSR) is an annual police report presented by the Shoreline Police command staff to the City Council. The report contains information on crime statistics, police data and other information relevant to public safety.

Chief Shawn Ledford and Captain Ryan Abbott will present the report.

NOTE: This was a detailed overview of the Police Service report. You can read a copy of it in the staff report. It has not been added to the Police tab on the City of Shoreline site, but will be shortly.

Staffing
Current staffing consists of 51 commissioned allocated (there are 7 vacancies), and 3 professional staff. Like other police agencies, we are having difficulties retaining and hiring officers. That means we are often operating at minimums and we often have to use overtime to fulfill those minimums.

Police Contacts
There were 22,690 dispatched call contacts in 2020 which is about a 6% decrease from 2019. A lot of that is due to COVID. There were 7,741 police initiated contacts which is also lower than 2019 and has been the trend since 2017.

Response Times
Our response times have improved for all calls probably as a result of less traffic volume during the pandemic. Traffic collisions and citations follow this pattern of decrease.

Traffic - Collisions and Citations
Collisions decreased 9% and citations 67%.

Crime Trends
One trend jumps out from the rest: 300% increase in fraud. We expect this will be just a one-time increase from fraudulent unemployment claims where citizens were encouraged to contact local police departments to report possible fraud.

Residential and commercial burglaries continue to trend slightly down. Domestic violence shows a 23% reduction unlike other areas that have reported an increase during the pandemic.

Crimes that have increased include car prowls, vandalism, vehicle thefts and robberies.

Hate crimes
There were 11 hate crimes reported in 2020. Of those 7 were for graffiti. One was a note with hate speech on it. The top three hate crimes will give you an idea of what we are seeing in Shoreline.
There was a high school threats case January 1, 2020 where one student had threatened another. The victim did not want to press charges. On May 5, 2020 condo vandalism report where someone wrote “racist” with a sharpie marker on a tenant’s vehicle. We were never able to identify the suspect. On May 9, 2020 grocery store threats involved homophobic slurs made to an elderly victim by a juvenile. The juvenile fled the scene and was never located.

In 2021 we already have 2 hate crimes and one has been charged as a felony hate crime.

Use of force


2021 Legislative Changes

We will be modifying our training to address these changes. We will need legal guidance and we have paused our current training program.
  • HB1310 Physical force can only be used if there’s probable cause (instead of reasonable suspicion) to make an arrest and/or to protect against an imminent threat of serious injury. Probable cause is a high bar.
  • HB 9476 Based on the Blake decision, controlled substance possession or use, requires two assessment referrals before an arrest can be made.
  • HB 1054 Tactics. The King County Sheriff’s Office policies already comply with a lot of these restrictions. The pursuit policies are more strict.
  • HB 1140 Juvenile access to an attorney
  • SB 5259 Authorizes Attorney General to require additional data elements in the use of force program.

We’ve taken a lot of pride in de escalating situations but we may have to rely more on mental health professionals. We are trying to figure out how to do this best to keep everyone safe while waiting for the necessary infrastructure (such as facilities to assist those with mental health issues).

DISCUSSION

There’s a lot in here. I’m concerned about the state legislative changes and mental health issues and the quality of life aspects. The Blake decision says cooperation is voluntary - so can the person continue to do what they’re doing (sleeping in park, using drugs) and police have to walk away?
Reply: that’s the way I interpret it at this point but we have meetings over the next three days to address this type of issue. We plan to come back to Council in August to go over what we’ve learned.

Legislative changes appear to limit your ability to make arrests for domestic violence.
Reply: Here’s an example: neighbors call it in and when we arrive a party comes out of the apartment. Before now we could stop that person on reasonable suspicion. We can’t do that now because we need probable cause. Vandalism and a lot of things where we used to be able to hold someone for reasonable suspicion until we could figure it out, now require probable cause.

I disagree that probable cause is a very high standard. In your example, once you found out an assault had occurred you could then stop the person based on probable cause. I think most of these changes are less dramatic than we think they might be.

I see complaints about property crimes on NextDoor and now I can see that an increase in property crimes actually exists. What can we do about that?
Reply: We have to continue to work with community outreach. Don’t leave stuff in cars, even a diaper bag. If they don’t see something, they’ll go on to the next car. We see this on surveillance videos.

Just south of our border, there is a large amount of prostitution yet we have little activity in Shoreline. What are we doing right?
Reply: We have the support of the Council to go out and contact the individuals and ask them if they need help, and we go on to tell them we’re not going to allow them to work on Aurora in Shoreline.

Use of force: we had an officer involved shooting last year and it’s very important to see what the analysis of this shows. When will this report be made public?
Reply: An outside agency does the review so I know very little information - which is intentional. There’s an inquest process that has to be followed. So I can’t provide a timeline.

Fraud is at 299% almost exclusively due to reporting of unemployment fraud. If we take unemployment reports out, how do our numbers compare to last year?
Reply: I didn’t back out those claims to see apples to apples. I think we’re pretty consistent.

Looking at the chart of types of force, is it based on the total 15 use of force incidents or is a percentage of some other number?
Reply: it is based on the 15.

The chart looks bad but the staff report shows that our use of force numbers are very very low. Maybe next time the chart should just show the actual numbers instead of the percentage.

Race and policing and how safe people feel. How is Shoreline doing? I can’t really answer that when I’m asked because I can’t point to numbers. I would like to see a report on officers’ perception of race. If the numbers are off, why is that.
Also, 911 calls just come in from citizens. These might tell us who calls in - the caller’s perception of race applies here. Not asking for a comment but hoping for the future we can determine how we are doing.

One thing that would need to be factored in is drive-through traffic along Aurora and how that would affect the racial makeup of the community.
Reply: correct, it changes the demographics. Also if you’re running radar you can’t see the race of a driver when you get the speed. I’m interested in the data as well.

Staff has asked us if we want to use traffic cameras. If we were using them, at least they don’t perceive race and that might help us address this at another time. This is a conversation for another day.

Collisions were down a little bit but driving was down even more. Any sense of why collisions just dipped a little bit?
Reply: I think any time you have a reduction in enforcement collisions may go up.


8(b) Discussion of Ordinance No. 937 - Amending the Shoreline Municipal Code to Add Chapter 10.22 Street Racing

The COVID-91 pandemic has seen a growth in street racing activity nationwide and within the Puget Sound area. Street racing is extremely difficult to address under current laws and even more so in the City of Shoreline where Police calls for service and limited resources cut down on available discretionary patrol time to combat the issue. Pursuant to RCW 46.61.530, street racing amounts to reckless driving under RCW 46.61.500, however these State law provisions fail to place consequences on organizers, non-driving participants, and spectators for their actions in facilitating and encouraging the activity. Proposed Ordinance No. 937 would amend the Shoreline Municipal Code to add a new chapter regarding street racing.

Captain Ryan Abbott and Margaret King, City Attorney, gave the presentation


Street racing in Shoreline October of 2020, at Richmond Beach Rd and Dayton

We see this happening in Shoreline at least two weeks every month. Sometimes we know it’s going to happen, sometimes we don’t and we’re caught off guard. It is dangerous and results in serious injuries to drivers and spectators, collisions, property damage, large fights, shootings and other criminal behavior.


DISCUSSION

Why are the “no racing zones” such a limited area? Aren’t there are other areas where it could take place?
Reply
  • Abbott: there are more areas but these are the major ones. We had races at a lot of other streets as well but we’re limited to a certain number of streets to name.
  • Ledford: these were the problem locations. We can add other locations if it becomes a problem in other locations.
  • King: there are exemptions to where we can put these area - where people need to get to court or another public building, a court might not enter into it so this was our starting point.
But the racers will just go to other locations, right?
  • King: this is just for the prosecutor to get an order. If they’re caught racing anywhere in the City they can be cited. But if they’re in a signed area, they can be cited for just driving through there.
Can this be added to private property? People use parking lots in churches etc. to do donuts.
  • King: they can be cited for racing there, and then the owners of private property can trespass them so you don’t need STOR (stay out of racing ordinance).
  • Abbott: private property is more tricky. Trespass is an option if it’s ongoing, but it’s a matter of trying to catch the car if someone calls it in.
Street racing provides the soundtrack to my life. Once we get past this pandemic, will this fad stop?
  • Abbott: It’s quite the thing to do. It’s always been here. I don’t see it going away by itself. Summer is worse but with COVID it continued all year long.
Have other cities seen reductions?
  • Abbott: Kent has seen a decrease due to their racing ordinance and they have identified some of the regular players wanted, not only for racing, but also for violent crimes. They will go back and charge them and it’s really helped Kent.
Racing is dangerous for everybody. What about police?
  • Abbott: Tacoma had an officer drive into an event and the group attacked his car. The State Patrol has had similar situations. It is dangerous for officers. We went in with a lot of numbers and a helicopter when we learned where they were going.
Is it possible to know ahead of time?
  • We have a good intelligence group but the racers are thinking of different ways of communicating. At least once/week we are getting a BOLO (be on the lookout) in this area. But it just keeps moving from area to area, city to city.
I have some concerns but we don’t want to enact something that will be embarrassing in the future. Impound does not always punish the right person. It’s probable that someone other than the owner is operating the car. (The owner could be another family member).

In looking at the proposed regulations, where a person can be arrested with a warrant and impound, it seems to refer to a non-existent paragraph. What is the intent? I want to make sure that a court can order an impound, but not an officer.
  • King: good question. I’ll look into that for you. Could be just citing error.
I’m OK with impounding the car. Otherwise they will be leaving here for the next race in another location. Not unlike a drunk driver, we need that racer off the streets.

Not sure what the right answer is. The cars that are frequently shown are cars that have been modified to be street racing cars which is expensive. I think impounding them is important and will deter future behavior. Since these regulations are new here and we need something quickly, I’m OK with having to make changes later on. I think we need to do something now.

Just to follow up, Kent’s ordinance allows after the fact arrest or prosecution? Like from a cell phone video?
  • Abbott: kind of. We have to know who the driver was. We can then forward it to the prosecutor to see if they want to pursue charges.
  • King: You can charge people after an investigation if there’s enough there to meet the definition of a crime. Like Jan 6, where people posted themselves at the Capitol. Also under reckless driving, if they arrest you they can impound the vehicle but police have to go through an analysis why the impoundment is necessary. The SOR ordinance allows it. The court ordered impound can only occur after an individual has been convicted.
You can’t take back a night in jail. And we don’t generally refund import fees. I agree with this ordinance but totally disagree with anyone going to jail based on a not-well-thought-out ordinance. It is possible the car has not been modified .

This will be back on Action in July

8(c) Discussion of COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policies - Sponsored by Mayor Hall

Mayor Hall requested the City Manager to schedule a Council discussion to direct the City Manager to establish a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for City employees. The Mayor also requested that Council discuss establishing a mandatory vaccination policy for in-person attendance at any council meeting or indoor event sponsored by the City. Currently, the City Manager does not recommend that the City Council consider adoption of any mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies.

Presentation by John Norris, Assistant City Manager


There has been a tremendous impact from the pandemic. Over 100 Shoreline residents have died.

City staff has taken this pandemic very seriously and will continue to do so. Vaccines are more widely available. Vaccines are much more effective than mask wearing and social distancing in preventing the spread of this virus. A mandatory policy may result in termination of employees who do not have an exemption or chose not to be vaccinated. There must be exemptions for medical and sincerely held religious reasons. 79% of the City’s regular employees have provided proof of vaccination.

The City Attorney has confirmed that the Council has the legal authority to issue a mandatory vaccination policy.

There are other organizations with mandatory vaccination policies such as cruise-ship lines, and in university and health care settings. Staff could not identify any state government agency (except public universities), county, school district or municipal government in Washington State that has adopted a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. However this could change.

We are currently planning on reopening City facilities later in the summer. Visitors will be required to wear face coverings (masks) when visiting City facilities.

DISCUSSION

I was unable to view some of the slides. If this is passed, failure to be vaccinated may result in termination of a staff member?
  • Debbie Tarry: If they don’t have an exemption but choose not to be vaccinated then it could result in termination.
This is a surprisingly difficult topic. Public policy vs. personal experience. When I have to go back to the office in a large building with recirculated air, I’m very uncomfortable with that even though I’m fully vaccination. Vaccinations work. I’m thinking about the safety of employees. Why should vaccinated people have to potentially suffer from people who don’t follow the science? What about wearing a mask while having a cup of coffee at your desk?
  • Reply: sitting with a cup of coffee or tea at your desk is not “eating or drinking”. It’s when you’re eating your lunch. If someone doesn’t wear a mask because of they have a drink to sip on, we would have a conversation with that person.

Didn’t the City of Issaquah make it mandatory for new hires?
  • Reply: Yes
Union involvement will also be needed. But there are so many moving parts when it comes to public access. We’ve learned that a lot of services can be provided remotely.

I agree this is difficult. People need to get vaccinated. We can encourage and educate but I don’t think we should mandate vaccination for employees. There are so many exemptions and religious considerations are difficult to track. It might just be used by some. Maybe it’s too soon for mandates - maybe we need to continue with masking and social distancing.

How is the air at City Hall?
  • Reply: great question. We have a very advanced HVAC system and have added increased filtration and ionization - it’s as clean as in a hospital. At our other facilities, we’ve added multiple air purifier units. I think we feel confident of the level of air quality in all of our facilities.

In general we hired Debbie Tarry to be the head of our organization and I’ve tried not to go against her decisions because I want to honor her decisions. I’m not in favor of mandating. We’re small enough that I hope we can get the job done with encouragement to vaccinate. Maybe we can consider mandating for new employees who can consider that before applying for a position.

This decision is too soon. We open in September and I would still like to see some masking including at Council meetings which could be remote for several more months. I personally want to feel safe and the honor system doesn’t quite work to make me feel safe.

I don’t want to go to mandatory vaccinations. I like masking and social distancing because there’s too much still unknown. We don’t even know how long the vaccines last. Zoom meetings continuing is ok with me too. We aren’t open yet. Let’s see what happens when everything else opens.

I agree this seems too soon but it takes months to work these things out. Companies are still planning how they will proceed.

There were no outbreaks at City Hall but mandatory quarantine was required for some who were in contact with an employee who came to City Hall when they were infected with COVID-19. We got lucky.

We need to get past our personal issue. This is an important policy decision. We all care about the health safety of our employees, and the freedom, privacy and comfort of employees and members of the public. If we require people to come back to the workplace, we need to take care of everyone especially those who are the most vulnerable because they can’t be vaccinated.

I don’t want us to get caught up in like this is some new problem. We have been requiring proof of vaccination for other diseases for half a century in schools in all 50 states. And we don’t have to worry about these diseases anymore. Courts have found that the public benefit far outweighs the tiny intrusion on personal rights.

There is a lot to weigh here. I agree with mandating vaccinations for employees but not visitors to City Hall to protect our employees who have to come to City Hall and you’re immune compromised? We need to balance this in.

How does staff feel we should proceed?
  • Reply: There is not strong support for but split between the 6 member of Council here today.
  • Debbie Tarry: we are all concerned with public safety. Would like to continue to monitor and see what develops with other employers.

Procedurally this goes back to the drawing board. I think the next step is to not schedule an Action unless someone asks for it.

With a split like this we can’t move this along. I don’t want to have a vote . This is who we are today. Would like to continue to monitor it.

Do we know where the State might be headed?
Reply: no we don’t

No action scheduled.

MEETING ADJOURNED.



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WeatherWatcher: Excessive heat warning issued, historic heatwave on the way

 

Sunny Weather in Shoreline.
Photo by Carl Dinse.


The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued an excessive heat warning for the greater Seattle area including the cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. 

From the National Weather Service:
  • Dangerously hot conditions with highs warming to the 90's and peaking near or above 100°F Sunday and Monday
  • In effect from 2pm Friday until 9pm Monday
  • Impacts: Unusual warmth and record high temperatures will significantly increase the potential for heat related illness, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities and for the elderly and those without air conditioning
  • Nighttime relief from the heat will be reduced in urban areas which will remain warmer later into the night. Low temperatures will be in the 60's to mid 70's
High resolution models are out now and the latest forecasts from these indicate some relief for Shoreline, but Lake Forest Park may suffer more. Friday is expected to have highs in the low to mid 80's. Saturday is the transition day, with high temperatures reaching into the 90's.

Sunday and Monday is when the heat turns on in full force. There will be a 3-7°F temperature gradient between the Puget Sound coastline and Lake Washington/Kenmore. I-5 will roughly be the point from east to west where the transition of slightly cooler temperatures is expected to exist.

Sunday: East of I-5 will see temperatures peak out in the high 90's to near 102°F. West of I-5 high temperatures will be closer to the mid 90's.

Monday: East of I-5 high temperatures could reach to 95-105°F, west of I-5 near 92-100°F.

Our low temperatures are not looking great either, with a Saturday night low near 70°F, and Sunday night lows in the mid 70's. Monday night low temperatures should make it into the 60's as marine air starts to make its way inland again.

If you're looking for cooler air without driving to the ocean, areas along the Puget Sound in Shoreline and up through Edmonds and Mukilteo will be the cooler spots during this heat wave. The high resolution models only show highs into the low 90's along that edge for all three days.

The east side (Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, north through Monroe and Lake Stevens) will be brutal, with highs there are expected to reach between 108°F and 112°F, especially on Monday.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week are expected to be cooler, but still pretty warm for this time of year, with highs in the mid 80's to near 90 through the week. 

June heat waves are very rare, but we have had them before. Seattle recorded one other June day at 100°F on June 9, 1955. Stay safe out there, and know that next weekend should a bit nicer. Longer range models indicate highs just barely breaking 80°F July 1st through 4th.


For current weather conditions visit http://www.shorelineweather.com



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Daisies and the pyramids of Egypt

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Photo by Wayne Pridemore


The pyramids of Egypt will not last a moment compared to a daisy.

D. H. Lawrence



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Attention email digest subscribers

This is what the new edition will look like


For those of you who receive your Shoreline Area News once a day in a digest of articles published in the previous 24 hours: There is a change coming up.

For over a decade we have used a free product called Feedburner to subscribe readers and distribute a daily digest.

On June 30, 2021 Feedburner will no longer perform this service.

On Saturday June 26 we will switch all of you to a new service called follow.it

We will subscribe everyone at the same time, but you will have to confirm your subscription. Details are below.

You will start getting digests from follow.it on Sunday. You will continue to get Feedburner editions until June 30. You may unsubscribe or just ignore them until they go away.

We suggest you put this in your address book / contact list: hi@follow.it
This should keep the new digest from going into your spam folders.

Something you are not going to like: follow.it does not put a list of stories at the head of the digest. We may be able to add this at a future date but in the meantime you will have to scroll.

How you confirm your subscription may depend on your email provider. It may be just clicking the link one time but probably you will have to go through a few screens.

You may get the follow.it email with the confirmation link immediately or you may need to wait 20 minutes.

  • If you click the link to confirm and receive a message from follow.it that says "Pick your Feed" select the first box that says "website" and enter Shoreline Area News.
  • Ignore #2 filters and #3 output - just click the green button to move to the next screen.

Hopefully this will be a smooth process - but if not, email Editor@ShorelineAreaNews.com and we'll walk you through it.

--Diane Hettrick



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Shoreline Fire Division Chief retires after 25 year career

Division Chief Kathy Pompeo
retires from Shoreline Fire
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire
On June 22, 2021, Division Chief Kathy Pompeo will work her last shift of over a 25-year career. 

Kathy was hired as a firefighter with Shoreline Fire Department in 1996. Three years later, Kathy attended the University of Washington’s Paramedic Training Program and graduated in July 2000 from Paramedic Class #26. 

In November 2005, Kathy was promoted to Lieutenant-MSO and successfully served as a Medical Services Officer for Shoreline Medic One for 14 years. 

During her time as MSO, Kathy played a critical role in the medic program serving as our EMS educator, Quality Assurance Officer, and Administrative MSO. 

 In addition, Kathy has been integral in many regional programs improving EMS delivery in Shoreline and North King County. This has included implementing new rapid stroke protocols, EMS performance and quality assurance measures, and training new dispatchers.

In October 2019, Kathy was promoted to Division Chief of EMS, where her focus quickly turned to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kathy has served as our Health Officer and COVID subject matter expert during these challenging times. 

As a result of Kathy’s leadership, Shoreline established a first responder COVID testing site in coordination with King County. When vaccinations became available, she implemented a Mobile Vaccination Team to help protect our most vulnerable population. 

Over the last several months, Kathy has spent countless hours planning and implementing a COVID vaccination site to serve the people of North King County. As a result of Kathy’s hard work and dedication, thousands of people in our area received vaccinations. 

In addition, Kathy successfully made vaccinations available to all middle and high school students in the Shoreline and Northshore School Districts before they headed off for summer break.

Shoreline Fire is lucky to have Kathy as part of our team. She has always performed professionally and passionately and has been a recognized EMS leader throughout the County. We will miss Kathy’s leadership and guidance. 
Congratulations on a well-deserved retirement and best of luck, Division Chief Pompeo!!



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Case updates June 22, 2021 - ICHS givings vaccines at Shoreline Arts Festival this weekend

ICHS vaccine event in Renton
Photo courtesy ICHS
ICHS will hold a vaccine event during the Shoreline Arts Festival this weekend at Pfingst Animal Acres park in Lake Forest Park. Info about the festival here and about the ICHS vaccine event here.

Case updates June 22, 2021


United States 
  • Total cases 33,395,620 - 12,854 in one day
  • Total deaths 600,086 - 322 in one day

Washington state 
  • Total confirmed cases 412,581 - 723 new since yesterday
  • Probable (additional) cases 36,364 - 80 new since yesterday
  • Total hospitalizations 25,287 - 206 since yesterday
  • Total deaths 5,889 - 46 new since yesterday.  

King county  
  • Total confirmed cases 107,393 - 406 new since yesterday   
  • Total hospitalizations 6,319 - 5 new since yesterday  
  • Total deaths 1,618 - 0 new since yesterday

Seattle - population 744,995 (2018) 
  • Total confirmed cases 25,406 -  45 new since yesterday
  • Total hospitalizations 1,426 -  2 new since yesterday
  • Total deaths 418 -  1 new since yesterday

Shoreline - population 56,752 (2018) 
  • Total confirmed cases 2,474 -  6 new since yesterday
  • Total hospitalizations 206 -  0 new since yesterday
  • Total deaths 101 - 0 new since yesterday

Lake Forest Park - 13,569 (2018) 
  • Total confirmed cases 326 -   0 new since yesterday
  • Total hospitalizations 17 - 0 new since yesterday
  • Total deaths 4 - 0 new since yesterday


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Heat related dangers claiming human and pet lives

National Weather Service Seattle


By Diane Hettrick

Probably the people who need to see this and change their behavior will either not see it or ignore it. But I feel compelled to say it anyway.

There have been many terrible local stories recently.

Rivers

The first was a young man who died rescuing another person in a river. Rivers are dangerous for swimming - currents and cold temperatures. The rescuer saved the person he went in after, and then died.

Windows and toddlers

Hot weather - open windows - toddler falls. UW Harborview Hospital's pediatric trauma unit reports they have treated five children in the past few weeks for window falls and one child died. Every year they treat about 50 children who fall from windows. Go to a hardware store and get locks or screens now and install them before another child is injured.

Wear life vests when you are on the water

They just located the body of a man who died in Lake Washington. I believe he's the third lake death in the last couple of weeks. All our fire departments are training for water rescues - and more often body recoveries.

One that was particularly sad was the 32 year old dad who took his boys out on Father's Day. One of the children fell out of the boat. The dad went in after him and died. The children were wearing life vests and were rescued by someone else.

Dogs in cars

People think they are being responsible by opening the windows and leaving water for their dogs. But the cars still heat up. At 75 degrees outside the car interior will be 94 degrees within 10 minutes and 109 degrees within 30 minutes.

Fireworks

Fireworks are illegal everywhere. All the nearby cities ban them. Both Snohomish county and King county now ban fireworks in unincorporated areas. But people still buy them. Every year some guy (always guys) loses a couple of fingers because he was lighting fireworks and throwing them from a car. He either holds it too long or drops it in the car and scrambles to pick it up.

Fireworks and fires

You don't have to be in central Washington to start a brush fire. Every year we have fires in the dead grass along the freeway. One year the wind actually blew sparks across the freeway near Northgate and there were fires on both sides. When the fire climbs up the hillside, there are homes to burn.

Heatstroke

Now with the high temperatures, we have to be concerned about heatstroke, particularly of older citizens. Here's a whole list of tips from King county emergency services



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Shoreline Police: This time the prowler got away

The fleeing burglar left this behind

This time, the prowler got away. But he left behind a bag containing clues as to what he's been up to.

On Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 5:01am, our 9-1-1 communications center received a prowling call in the 20000 block of 12th Ave NE in Shoreline's Ballinger Neighborhood.

A nextbook computer was in the backpack

The caller said a male was in her driveway looking around. The homeowner thought this was suspicious as she lives down a long driveway. Due to previous prowling incidents, she had installed a motion sensor alarm.

Some of the items left behind

A deputy arriving on scene noticed a male standing in front of a nearby home. The deputy reversed his patrol car to get a better look, and the male fled westbound into the backyard of that home.

The deputy searched the backyard and found a trail of toiletries leading to a gray backpack near the back fence to the yard. Next to the pack was a can of pepper spray. 

Is this from your checkbook?

The deputy took possession of these items, then continued checking the area for the suspicious male. 

Unfortunately, the suspect could not be found.

Back at the precinct, deputies searched the backpack. Inside was a Nextbook computer, a money bag marked “Madison PTA,” several keys, a US Passport with the photo removed, and a blank check under a woman’s name.

The burglar left behind a bag of tools

Of particular interest was a bag full of tools typically used in burglaries.

Deputies took a case report of suspicious circumstances, and are still attempting to contact the owners of the passport and the blank check to return the items.

--King County Sheriff's Office



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ShoreLake Arts Gallery: Elsa Bouman and Wolff Bowden



Elsa Bouman and Wolff Bowden

June 30 - August 14, 2021


ShoreLake Arts Gallery is exhibiting a selection of works by Mixed-Media Collage Artist Elsa Bouman and Multi-Media Artist Wolff Bowden. See these works and the creations of other local artists during gallery hours: Wednesday – Saturday, Noon to 5pm. Click here to view and purchase the art in the online shop: Current Gallery Exhibit

The ShoreLake Arts Gallery is not-for-profit and features changing art exhibits on the walls every 6 weeks, as well as jewelry, ceramics, glass and more by over 90+ local artists.

Special Event! Meet the Artist: Elsa Bouman

Saturday, July 17, 2021, 12pm-2pm


Join us for a meet and greet with local LFP artist, Elsa Bouman. Elsa will be talking about her exhibit and providing a craft activity using puzzle pieces to make your own personalized magnet.

Elsa Bouman

Artist Bio
Elsa Bouman is an artist living and teaching in the Seattle area. She has degrees in fine and graphic art and worked as a graphic designer in the music industry in San Francisco for many years. Her roots are in Holland Michigan, but since 2007, Lake Forest Park is her home.

Artist Statement
Whether creating or teaching, my art is spiritual testimony and where I find my truest self.

About the Show
Ever since I was a child I have been experimenting with art and nature. From mud pies and making stew out of beach debris to rewriting recipes and mixing paint out of berries and spices. Now, as an adult, I follow alternative paths in my art and find much joy in the creation of the unique. What starts out as a vision becomes a puzzle and the puzzle is the exciting challenge.

During the pandemic my sister sent me a jigsaw puzzle. The works I created from the pieces have allowed me to solve the puzzle in new ways, undo the pattern and invent a new end product. This undoing of the expected finish has also helped me find my way through a year of isolation when the outcome was also unclear.

- Elsa Bouman, 2020 / 2021
@elsa_bouman


Wolff Bowden

Artist Bio

Wolff grew up in a house on concrete stilts, fifteen feet above a cypress swamp, swimming in a lake speckled with alligator heads, singing with bullfrogs. After his childhood home burned down in a blaze so intense that it left an iron clawfoot tub twisted like a human ear, Wolff moved to Sarasota where he studied by day and painted by night, earning a bachelor’s degree in Natural Science from New College of Florida. His studies in organic chemistry inspired him to create a highly-textured paint surface reminiscent of the swamp.

In 2000, ARTEXPO SOUTH MIAMI named Wolff Artist of the Millennium. This placed his painting “Autumn Mask” on billboards across South Florida. At the ARTEXPO show, Wolff sold “Autumn Mask” to baseball legend Andre Dawson. In addition to purchases by Amazon and Starbucks executives, Wolff's artwork hangs in the private collections of author Frank McCourt and Poet Laureate Billy Collins. He has sold almost a thousand pieces through shows and galleries and has exhibited widely, including ARTEXPO NEW YORK in Manhattan.

In addition to visual art, Wolff co-founded the Americana band, The Winterlings. They have recorded 4 studio albums and earned praise from The Seattle Times and BBC Radio. Painting professionally for over two decades, Wolff continues to explore a vivid, personal mythology which blends language, form and texture. His unique vision continues to inspire his collectors, who hang his paintings not just as design centerpieces, but as portals into mystery.

Please visit Winterlings.com or ThePaintedPoet.com to learn more.

Artist Statement

Art is a spiritual practice, leading both artist and audience into a deeper appreciation of the mystery of life. Curators refer to my work as “outsider art” because I taught myself to paint. This “outsider” quality makes my art immediately accessible to a wide audience because viewers can feel the energy of color, texture and imagery without needing additional academic explanation.

I learned to paint before I learned to walk. Through my childhood, I painted a strange collection of forest beings I called The Winterlings. Half human, half beast, The Winterlings appear in many of my paintings and represent the union between humankind and nature. Most of my mixed-media paintings are created using mineral pigments and high-gloss polymer. I often paint with unconventional tools including branches and spoons.

By wandering through wilderness, I am inspired to create paintings which show the vibrant life that surrounds us. Mythological beings rise up through dreamy landscapes and create a bridge between nature and humanity.We all need a deep breath of art, a long moment of looking at imagery which awakens our ability to feel. I create paintings to both deepen and brighten the experience of living, to inspire the viewer to honor their own creative fire. I have been told that my artwork hangs in a home like a torch in a dark time, bringing peace, giving light.

Visit our website to view their art!

Want to browse local art online? The Gallery Online Shop is open for business! The virtual shop includes handmade masks, paintings, sculptures, and more. Thanks for supporting our local artists!

The ShoreLake Arts Gallery is a program of ShoreLake Arts and is located inside the Town Center in Lake Forest Park on the lower level. 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155.

ShoreLake Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate creativity and inspire our community through the arts. Established in 1989.



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Gloria's Birds: From time to time the sibs enjoyed kicking back and watching the world go by...

 
Photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler

Goslings on shores of Lake Washington

--Gloria Z Nagler




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Vintage sports car enthusiasts gathered at Town Center

Vintage porsche owners hold regular gatherings

Story and photos by Cynthia Sheridan

Vintage automobile owners gathered at the Lake Forest Park upper parking lot recently to share their enthusiasm for sports cars of the 80’s. 

Young owners show off their cars

This group connects on social media under the title of Guards Rad Garage, organized by Porsche owner and enthusiast Roy Johnson. 

The cars parked in the long row. Owners checked out the cars and talked shop.

After sharing stories and showing off their vehicles, the group settled in for more conversation at the newly opened Vulpine Taproom (see previous article).



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Shoreline resident Patricia Mazuela and the Nueva Canción movement

Patricia Mazuela
By Cynthia Sheridan

Shoreline resident Patricia Mazuela is a musician, playback theater director, and co-founder of the band Sin Fronteras

With growing involvement in arts and social justice, there has been renewed interest in the nueva canción (“new song”) movement from Latin America.

Sin Fronteras (“without borders“), is a trio of highly skilled performers in this tradition, having emigrated to the U.S. from Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. 

They describe the music as full of “vibrant rhythms, soulful melodies, and breathtaking harmonies – songs of life, humanity, and love.”

Patricia, along with co-founder Leticia Nieto, has also formed the playback theater group Pasajer@s, which loosely translates as passengers but also relates to the idea of that which is transitory or temporary. 

Playback Theatre is a way to honor personal stories by creating instant theatre pieces that include improvised movement, language, music, dance, and ritual.

Seattle Book-It Repertory Theater’s current production of Mañanaland features lovely music which is beautifully performed by Patricia. Mañanaland can be viewed on Book-It’s website until June 30, 2021. 

Patricia is also a board member for Northwest Heritage Resources.



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ICHS to offer free COVID-19 vaccines at Shoreline Arts Festival Saturday and Sunday


A teen receives his Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at an International Community Health Services (ICHS) pop-up clinic in Renton. ICHS has been hosting community vaccine clinics since February 2021.


The International Community Health Services (ICHS) will host a walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Shoreline Arts Festival on June 26 and June 27, 10:00am - 2:30pm in Lake Forest Park, WA. 

As a walk-in clinic, no appointments are necessary to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

ICHS will be administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is the only COVID-19 vaccine currently approved for 12-18 year olds, and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine which is the only single-shot vaccine (18+). Minors must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardian.

Cantonese, Vietnamese, Amharic and Korean interpreters will be available. ICHS staff will schedule Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine patients’ second dose.


The International Community Health Services Shoreline Clinic is located near Aurora Ave N and N 165th St. They offer walk-in COVID-19 vaccines at their clinic pharmacy during normal business hours, no appointment necessary. Photo courtesy ICHS.


ICHS will proud to be a Gold Sponsor of this year’s Shoreline Arts Festival. Members of ICHS’ community health services team will be in attendance to share more about ICHS patient health services, outreach efforts, and helpful information on accessing resources like housing, employment, and health insurance.

The Shoreline Arts Festival is a free event but attendees must reserve a ticket. The event will be located at the Pfingst Animal Acres Park, located at 17435 Brookside Blvd NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155.

About ICHS

International Community Health Services (ICHS) is a nonprofit community health center providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health services to improve the wellness of King County’s diverse people and communities. 

Since its founding in 1973, ICHS has grown from a single storefront clinic in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District with deep roots in the Asian Pacific Islander community, to a regional health care provider employing more than 600 people and serving over 32,000 patients at 11 clinic locations. For more information, please visit: www.ichs.com




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