Shorecrest girls varsity tennis vs Archbishop Murphy 4-11-2022

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Girls varsity tennis
Shorecrest 6 - Archbishop Murphy 1
4/11/2022
At Kellogg MS
Coach Rob Mann

Singles
  1. Bella Billarreal (A) def. Flora Cummings 2-6, 4-6; 
  2. Cami Sikora (S) def. Meiweya Amazona 6-2, 6-2; 
  3. Megan McMullen (S) def. Hannah Humphrey 6-7(5),4-0, Default; 
  4. Lily Haessler (S) def. Natalie Grannum 6-4, 4-6, 6-2;

Doubles
  1. Laila Rabaa-Delaney Davis (S) def. Grace Longoria-Shan Camarillo 6-3, 5-7,6-4; 
  2. Ellie Coleman-Sofia Francescutti (S) def. Kira Schwetz-Grace Bolton 6-4, 6-0; 
  3. Yamin Dembrow-Zoe Greenzweig (S) def. Tanya Reyes-Pamela Medina 6-1,6-1


Read more...

Log Boom Park Project update

Photo courtesy City of Kenmore
The Log Boom Waterfront Access and Viewing Project is one of the five voter-approved Walkways and Waterways bond measure projects.

Log Boom Park in Kenmore is undergoing a major renovation. Construction began on August 3, 2021 but was interrupted by the concrete delivery drivers' strike.

However, all flatwork concrete has been completed at Log Boom Park. 

All that remains is the two boat ramp walls scheduled to be placed on Tuesday this week. 

For information on this project visit http://kenmorewa.gov/wwlb

Log Boom Park photos courtesy City of Kenmore

Road Construction Northwest works to finish the project with two additional small concrete pours this week east of the boat rental building and boat access ramp to the water. 

RCNW plans to begin painting the boat rental building in the coming weeks. Wetland buffer protection fencing will be installed. The irrigation controller added and system tested. Incremental progress to complete the project hopefully by May. An updated schedule will follow completion of concrete work.  

While the contractor has gone to lengths to keep the project schedule moving, including pouring concrete at late hours in the day when delivery was available and procuring concrete from Snohomish County, the strike impacted work on the main ADA pathway to the boat rental building, and the picnic shelter.


Read more...

Ridgecrest Neighborhood to hear about beaver habitat Tuesday

Elyssa Kerr of BeaversNW.org
Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association Board meeting Tuesday, April 12, 2022 from 7-8:30pm via Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84501873407

"Meet a Neighbor" presentation by Elyssa Kerr, a Ridgecrest resident and Executive Director of Beavers Northwest. https://beaversnw.org

Elyssa has been working in the Pacific Northwest as a restoration practitioner and environmental educator since 2014. 

She is passionate about exploring and maintaining the amazing habitats that beavers create and enjoys sharing the benefits of these ecosystems with people of all ages through interactive and experiential programming.

Ridgecrest Facebook page here



Read more...

The clouds look so innocent

Monday, April 11, 2022

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

They don't look like they are full of snow and hail but it does depend what time of day you take the photo.

It was hard to see but there were intermittent snow and rainfalls today. Noticeable snow in Lynnwood.

We tend to be in the sweet spot, with the more dramatic weather north and sound of us - but beware the convergent zone events!

--Diane Hettrick (not the weather reporter) 



Read more...

I-5, SR 104 ramps and lanes to close overnight for light rail work this week

Design for Mountlake Terrace Station
now under construction
Courtesy Sound Transit

There will be several overnight lane and ramp closures on SR 104 and I-5 this week as Sound Transit contractor crews continue work on the Lynnwood Light Rail extension

Plan ahead for the following closures:
  • The two left lanes of southbound I-5 between 220th Street Southwest and 228th Street Southwest will close nightly from 8pm to 9am from Sunday, April 10 through the morning of Wednesday, April 13. One of the lanes will reopen by 5am each morning.
  • The two left lanes of northbound I-5 between SR 104 and 228th Street Southwest will close nightly from 8pm to 9am from Sunday, April 10 through the morning of Wednesday, April 13. One of the lanes will reopen by 5am each morning.
  • The two right lanes of northbound I-5 between SR 104 and 228th Street Southwest will close nightly from 10pm to 4:30am from Wednesday, April 13 through the morning of Friday, April 15.
  • The westbound and eastbound SR 104 on-ramps to northbound I-5 will close nightly from 8pm to 4:30am from Wednesday, April 13 through the morning of Friday, April 15 to remove falsework around the light rail bridges.


Read more...

Mental health is a critical component of public health

Mental health is a critical component of public health, and one of the most common health conditions in the US. 

Strategies like being active, getting sleep, eating a well-balanced diet, practicing gratitude, participating in activities you enjoy, developing coping skills, meditating, and connecting with others can improve mental health. 

Check out amindfulstate.org for resources and support.

--Washington State Dept of Health



Read more...

Sidewalk construction to begin on 5th NE to 185th Light Rail Station

The City of Shoreline will soon be constructing new sidewalks for 5th Avenue NE, from NE 175th Street to near NE 182nd Court. 


The sidewalks will be built on both sides of the street and will connect to other new sidewalks that are under construction on 5th Avenue NE, north of 182nd Court, as part of Sound Transit’s 185th Street Link Light Rail Station.

This project is part of the 2018 voter-approved effort to build and repair sidewalks throughout Shoreline.

Project improvements include:
  • Pedestrian facilities with curbs and gutters
  • Curb ramps
  • Drainage improvements
  • Bicycle facilities
  • A new mid-block crossing from the west side of 5th Avenue NE, north of NE 182nd Court
The bicycle facilities will be added utilizing Sound Transit Access Funds. Constructing the bicycle facilities and sidewalk at the same time will be a cost savings and, along with Sound Transit improvements north of NE 182nd Court, will complete pedestrian/bicycle facilities from NE 175th Street to the Shoreline North/185th light rail station. 

These improvements will serve as one of the on-street segments of the Trail Along the Rail.


Read more...

Register now for Advanced Coding with Java and C# and Game Design Camps for teens

REGISTER NOW! Advanced Coding with Java and C# and Game Design Camps for teens!

Teaching material has been developed or customized to cover specific language syntax and best design and programming techniques.
  • Intro to Programming with C#
    • 6/20 – 6/24 | 9–3 pm | Ages 11–15| 1300 Bldg, SCC
  • Making Video Games with Java Script
    • 8/8 – 8/12 | 9–3 pm | Ages 11–15| 1300 Bldg, SCC |
  • Java for AP CS 1 & Programming Competitions
    • 8/15 – 8/19 | 9–3 pm | Ages 13–17| 1300 Bldg, SCC
  • Java for AP CS 2 & Programming Competitions
    • 8/22 – 8/26 | 9–3 pm | Ages 13–17| 1300 Bldg, SCC



Read more...

Shoreline wellness practice celebrates first year

Dr. Margaret Towolawi, family physician and lifestyle medicine physician, celebrates one year of operating Nurture Well Center this spring. 

Nurture Well Center is a concierge style medical practice located in Shoreline. Nurture Well Center focuses on providing holistic care to members and firmly believes that prevention is better than cure. 

Appointments are one hour on average and center on patient education as well as nutrition. Services also include wellness webinars, a monthly patient educational newsletter, as well as discounted acupuncture and massage in the office. To learn more visit: www.nurturewellcenter.com



Read more...

Shorewood Girls Tennis remains unbeaten

Singles player Sophia Serwold
The Shorewood Girls tennis team hosted their in-district rivals, the Shorecrest Scots, on Tuesday March 5, 2022 ,and swept all singles and doubles, to win 7-0. 

The singles players were led with consistent all court game by number 4 singles Sophia Serwold. Also winning were Emily Lin, Lindsay Rand and Rylie Gettmann.

Shorewood won all three doubles matches over the Scots. Number 1 doubles Emma Nelson and Emma Okamura led the way with strong serving, precise volleying and great team work on the court. 

Carryn Petersen and Mari Brittle, Amelia Uran and Reese Johnson won in straight sets to complete the victory for Shorewood.

Shorewood v Kamiak
On Thursday, the Shorewood team faced an annual top three team from Wesco 4A league, at Kamiak High School. The team was up to the challenge and elevated their game to win convincingly 7-0. 

Emily Lin encountered a very consistent number 1 and won in two very hard-fought sets. The match included long rallies and aggressive baseline play from both players. Rand, Gettmann and Serwold all won to sweep in singles. 

Rand overcame a first set loss to win the next two sets in long points that sometimes lasted over thirty strokes per point!

Shorewood's doubles also stepped up to the challenge with extremely consistent groundstrokes and aggressive volleying at net. Carryn Petersen and Ava Lamb led the way at number 2 to win in straight sets. Also winning were Okamura and Nelson at number 1 and Uran and Johnson at number 3.

The wins improved Shorewood's record to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in Wesco South.

They will host Lake Stevens on Tuesday the 12th with matches starting at 3:30pm.

Amelia Uran serving and Reese Johnson at net

Shorewood 7, Kamiak 0
At Kamiak H.S.


Singles—Emily Lin (SW) def. Chloe Lee 6-3, 6-4; Lindsay Rand (SW) def. Chaitna Deshmukh 5-7, 6-4, 10-8; Rylie Gettman (SW) def. Makana McDonough 6-1, 6-1; Sophia Serwold (SW) def. Diya Patel 6-4, 6-1. 

Doubles—Emma Okamura-Emma Nelson (SW) def. Yuri Yang-Tori Lunbeck 6-3, 6-1; Carryn Petersen-Ava Lamb (SW) def. Margaret Moon-Rohini Arangam 6-2, 6-4; Amelia Uran-Reese Johnson (SW) def. Ester Yun-Zoha Fatima 6-4, 6-2.

Emma Okamura serving and Emma Nelson at net.

Shorewood 7, Shorecrest 0
At Shorewood H.S.


Singles—Emily Lin (SW) def. Flora Cummings 6-1, 6-0; Lindsay Rand (SW) def. Cami Sikora 6-4, 6-1; Rylie Gettman (SW) def. Megan McMullen 6-0, 6-0; Sophia Serwold (SW) def. (not reported) 6-1, 6-2. 

Doubles—Emma Okamura-Emma Nelson (SW) def. Lily Haessler-Delaney Davis 6-1, 6-3; Carryn Peterson-Mari Brittle (SW) def. Dacotah Poole-Ellie Coleman 6-1, 6-3; Amelia Uran-Reese Johnson (SW) def. Sofia Francescotti-Yamin Demrow 6-2, 6-1.

--Coach Arnie Moreno



Read more...

Photo: Poem - Alone in the Cold

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Alone in the cold a young bud will wait,
to finally bloom before it is too late.
                                           Caitlin Rimmer




Read more...

Shoreline announces Artists in Residence for 2022

Arts Cottage image courtesy
City of Shoreline
2022 Artist-in-Residence Finalists Will Explore Shoreline Landscapes and Communities Through Various Media

(Shoreline, WA) – The City of Shoreline Public Art Program is delighted to announce the third season of residencies occurring at the Art Cottage at Saltwater Park in 2022.

Each is two months in duration and features local artists working onsite, experimenting with materials, methods, and the creative process. 

Pop-up art events, open houses, workshops, and other public engagement will unfold over the remaining Calendar year at the art cottage, located near the top of the hill at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, 2021 NW 190th St, Shoreline, WA 98177. 

Each artist will share schedules as they become available; weekends are likely occasions to observe art in action as part of a trip to the park. Updated information will be posted on the Public Art Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/shorelineart.

A five-member selection panel reviewed a highly talented field of 24 applicants and identified
  1. textile artist Chandra Wu 
  2. community engagement artist Sophia Fang
  3. dance choreographer Audrey Rachelle 
  4. poet Cara Stoddard and collage artist Ada Danelo (artist team) 
as the four finalists. (Ceramicist Daniel Clauson was also selected but has accepted another opportunity.)

Chandra Wu - Rabbit Ears, 50”x50”
Denim and cotton-bound quilt, 2017
Chandra Wu: Residency: #1 early April – early June
; https://www.chandrawu.com/;

Wu is an emerging artist working with fabrics in a variety of formats, both hand and machine piecing and quilting. Recipient of a supporting Open4Culture grant.

Community collage project with donated clothing scraps; train observation activity
  • Drop-off Jeans for donation: 
    • Fridays and Saturdays, 2-6 pm: 4/9, 4/15, 4/16, 4/22, 4/23, 4/29, 4/30; 
    • Sundays 9am – 12pm: 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1
  • Fabric Cutting: May 6 - 8, 9a – 12p
  • Collage and Embroidery: May 13-14, May 29-30, 10a – 2p
  • FINAL PRESENTATION and GALLERY CELEBRATION: June 4-5, 12-3pm
Sophia Fang, Technicolor, 9”x12”,
Gouache on paper, 2021



Sophia Fang: Residency: #2, 
Early June – Early August; 

Emerging Chinese-American artist, LGBTQ+, working in a variety of media

Community engagement practice with background in graphic design, watercolor, and gouache

Planning to research BIPOC and immigrant-owned Shoreline businesses and create mural artwork

Audrey Rachelle, Humility : Drift, site-responsive dance performance
with Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone, 2021, Photo by Blake Horn.

Audrey Rachelle: Residency #3, early August – early Oct. https://www.anacollaborations.com

Choreographer and movement artist, recently moved to Shoreline from New York City
  • site-responsive dance performance centered on metaphor of garden beds;
  • process will include nurturing and weeding the beds on the grounds of the art cottage.

Ada Danelo, Kulshan, mixed-media collage, 8”x 10”, 2021.
Cara Stoddard + Ada Danelo: 
Res.: #4 early Oct. – early Dec.; https://www.carastoddard.com

Artist Team from Parkwood neighborhood; LGBTQ+ and Jewish

Poetry and collage project with community involvement

The 2022 Panel consisted of 
  1. Dustin McIntyre, Shoreline Parks and Cultural Services Board; 
  2. Subhash Prajapati, PhD, ShoreLake Arts Board; 
  3. Kimberly Davis, Borealis Light Festival Community Relations Director; 
  4. Moon Adjibly, Trap Hip Hop Artist, Shoreline resident; and 
  5. David Francis, PhD, Public Art Coordinator. 
The Shoreline Art Cottage is made possible through the City’s 1% for Public Art Program and a 2018-2019 4Culture Cultural Facilities Grant.






Read more...

$5.5 million total FTC settlements with Kohl’s and Walmart challenge “bamboo” and eco claims, shed light on Penalty Offense enforcement

Photo courtesy FTC
By Lesley Fair
Federal Trade Commission blog

For consumers shopping for textiles for the home, products promoted as made from bamboo are a popular draw. 

But the FTC says some items advertised by global retailers Kohl’s and Walmart as “bamboo” were actually made of rayon. 

According to separate FTC settlements, the companies’ misleading representations violated the FTC Act and the Textile Act. In addition, the FTC says Kohl’s and Walmart engaged in “greenwashing” by making deceptive eco-friendly claims for those products. 

The complaint against Kohl’s charges that the company falsely represented that sheets, pillows, bath rugs, and towels advertised as made wholly or in part from bamboo were, in fact, made of rayon. 

What’s more, the company described them with terms like “sustainable,” “highly renewable,” and “environmentally friendly.” 

Kohl’s also advertised some of the products online with a “Cleaner Solutions” seal that linked people to a “Sustainability at Kohl’s” webpage describing initiatives suggesting that the company “care[s] about the planet.”

According to the complaint against Walmart, the company also made false bamboo claims in promoting sheets, towels, blankets, and nursing bras. In addition, Walmart marketed the items with phrases like “eco-friendly and sustainable” and “renewable and environmentally sustainable”

So what’s the real story about bamboo? read more here



Read more...

Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Bucket List


Previous cartoons by Whitney Potter HERE




Read more...

Learn how to Build a Backyard Bug Hotel at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden


Photo courtesy
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden
Build a Backyard Bug Hotel
April 16, 2022 | 10:30 am

Garden Director Joe Abken will demonstrate how to create a backyard bug hotel out of upcycled materials. 

Bug hotels are a great way to shelter beneficial insects and other garden critters.

Classes fill up fast and pre-registration is required.

Members $25 | Non-members $35

Register Here

Become a member of KBG here




Read more...

Outdoor fun with a Community Scavenger Hunt through North Seattle, Shoreline, and Lake Forest Park

 
From line to line (85th to 205th) and shore to shore (Lake Washington to Puget Sound), join the Shoreline Museum throughout April to celebrate our community histories! 

Call, email, or just swing by the museum to pick up a booklet that will guide you through six different locations across Lake Forest Park, North Seattle, and Shoreline. 

At each site, answer the question in the booklet and then once completed return it to the museum to be entered for a prize! 

Booklets are available free of charge for museum members and are $5 for non-members. 

The museum is located just off Aurora at 18501 Linden Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133




Read more...

Sound Transit welcomes concrete strike’s end, encourages continued negotiations toward long-term contracts

700 yard deck in Shoreline
Photo by Jay Lindberg

The concrete driver's strike is over, but without resolution. A union representative said they would continue to work for employee retirement benefits, which he indicated was the last sticking point.

Locally, large projects are being readjusted to "dig out of the deep hole" they have been in. The Shoreline projects were able to get a head start when drivers at three companies were authorized to go back to work mid-March.

Statement from Sound Transit

With construction progress now months behind schedule, Sound Transit will work to minimize expected delays to project openings

Sound Transit today welcomed news that the concrete delivery strike impacting projects across King and Snohomish counties will come to an end following the Teamsters’ unconditional offer to return to work while negotiations continue.

"This is great news for resuming work on the largest transit expansion program in the nation," said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. 
"We thank the Teamsters for this action, and we urge the parties to work collaboratively on a long-term agreement that avoids risks of further disruptions. With months of backlogged concrete deliveries across the region, we all must now work together to dig ourselves out of a deep hole."

With backlogged demand expected to continue impacting deliveries, Sound Transit will continue to assess schedule impacts that the months of project delays, combined with COVID-19 and other impacts, will have on the opening dates of major light rail extensions.

The strike has impacted four major light rail extensions in King and Snohomish counties that under original schedules were expected to add 34 miles to the regional light rail system by the end of 2024. 

The four projects include the 14-mile extension of Link to Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond’s Overlake area; the 8.5-mile extension to Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood; the 7.8-mile extension to Kent and Federal Way; and the 3.4-mile extension to downtown Redmond. 

Sound Transit will do its best to minimize the degree to which the strike and other factors will delay the openings.

"While we cannot erase these delays, we will work to minimize their impact to the greatest degree possible and get these transformative projects open for service to our residents," said Sound Transit Executive Director of Design, Engineering and Construction Management Ron Lewis.

Avoiding any future disruptions to concrete deliveries is critical. To date, the strike has resulted in more than 4,300 missed deliveries. If all those trucks were lined up bumper-to-bumper, they would stretch almost 29 miles, about the distance from Lynnwood to SeaTac Airport. 

Inability to move projects forward also caused Sound Transit contractors to lay off approximately 200 people.



Read more...

Northwest Folklife is back with Hybrid Festival

Saturday, April 9, 2022


SEATTLE, WA - After two years of virtual programming, Northwest Folklife in partnership with Seattle Center is excited to announce that it will officially be returning to in-person performances and events for its 51st Annual Festival on Memorial Day weekend May 27-30, 2022 at Seattle Center (campus map)

Each year, Northwest Folklife chooses a theme to embody the spirit of the festival. This year’s Cultural Focus is Metamorphosis: In with the Old, In with the New. In keeping with that spirit, the festival will be a hybrid event, with online and in-person programming available to be accessible to all. In addition, the festival will be exploring themes of transition, transformation, and growth: themes central to the folk lineage and process.

A Seattle institution for 50 years, Northwest Folklife has been building to this re-emergence with intentionality and with community safety in mind. Newly revised Covid-19 policies for the in-person programming and a full lineup online will ensure that the festival will be able to serve all of the community. 

Of the return, Managing Director Reese Tanimura says, “We feel a huge responsibility to make sure our return to live programming keeps safety and community care at the forefront. We are excited to welcome the summer sharing our best folklife.”

“This festival signals not just a re-emergence, but also a growth.” says Benjamin Hunter, Artistic Director. 

“Having been virtual for 2 years, this intentional pivot to hybrid means that we can finally come together again in person, with the realization that the virtual element provides an opportunity for folx who can’t and haven’t been able to attend in the past. I’m really excited at this opportunity to transition Folklife to a more accessible format!”

The 51st Annual Northwest Folklife Festival (May 27-30, 2022) will include programming that includes music, dance, spoken word, visual arts, films, cooking demonstrations, panel discussions, participatory dances, and workshops spanning 20 stages for an anticipated audience of over 200,000.

Northwest Folklife is an independent 501(c)(3) arts organization that celebrates a global Pacific Northwest's multigenerational arts, cultures, and traditions. 

For over 50 years, Northwest Folklife has been deeply committed to celebrating the diversity of our Northwest communities and de-mystifying our differences together under one roof. Northwest Folklife believes that arts and culture strengthen communities and should be accessible for all. 

Our year-round programming is produced in collaboration with over 120 different cultural partners and powered by contributions from the community, corporations, foundations, and the public sector. We are for the people, by the people.



Read more...

Gloria's Critters: Ya see, photog, birds ain't the only ones!

 

Mammals make good models, too.

(Debbie Doe stopped by while munching in a neighbor’s yard to chide the photog and get in a portrait session as well:)

--Gloria Z Nagler



Read more...

Local COVID-19 case updates as of Friday, April 8, 2022

CASES LAKE FOREST PARK

King County’s Health Officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin: Big picture – new COVID-19 case and hospitalization numbers in King County are significantly lower than the peak we saw in January of this year. At that time, we were seeing an average of 6,500 new cases daily. 

Currently, we’re seeing an average of just over 300 new cases reported each day. It’s a similar story for hospitalizations – in early January, we had an average of 60 new COVID-19 hospitalizations daily, compared to an average of three to four currently. These metrics mean that King County is classified as “low” according to CDC’s COVID community level framework.

However, in the last two weeks, the number of new COVID-19 cases in King County has been increasing. We’ve seen a 91% increase in the last two weeks, from an average of 186 new cases daily the week of March 21, to an average of 356 new cases daily this week. Hospitalization rates have stayed relatively steady, hovering around two to four new hospitalizations per day since mid-March, and deaths have been falling since early February.

Because we’re starting at a relatively low baseline number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths currently, small increases lead to percentage increases that appears large compared to the actual size of the increase

Although the number of cases is rising, hospitalizations right now are lower than what we’ve seen during most of the pandemic.

COVID-19 Case Numbers as of Friday, April 8, 2022

The numbers reported in this article are still being verified as the reporting agencies strive to confirm cause of death, remove duplicates, verify residence, and catch up to a huge backlog from January's surge.

King county numbers

King county cases
  • Total confirmed cases - 354,962
  • Cases in past 7 days - 2,558 - 36% increase from previous 7 days
King county hospitalizations
  • Total hospitalizations - 11,373
  • Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 32 - 52% increase from previous 7 days
King county deaths
  • Total deaths - 2,710
  • Deaths in past 14 days - 17 - 63% decrease from previous 14 days
Seattle numbers

Cases in Seattle
  • Total confirmed cases - 99,575
  • Cases in past 7 days - 1,359 - 43% increase from previous 7 days
Hospitalizations
  • Total hospitalizations - 2,409
  • Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 10 - 43% increase from previous 7 days
Deaths
  • Total deaths - 639
  • Deaths in 14 days - 3 - 50% decrease from previous 14 days
Shoreline numbers

Cases in Shoreline
  • Total confirmed cases - 8,336
  • Cases in past 7 days - 66 - 68% increase in past 7 days
Hospitalizations
  • Total hospitalizations - 291
  • Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 1 - no change
Deaths
  • Total deaths - 129
  • Deaths in 14 days - 1 - no change
Lake Forest Park numbers

Cases in Lake Forest Park
  • Total confirmed cases - 1,512
  • Cases in past 7 days - 10 - 44% decrease over previous 7 days
Hospitalizations
  • Total hospitalizations - 32
  • Hospitalizations in past 7 days - 0 - no change
Deaths
  • Total deaths - 6
  • Deaths in 14 days - 0 - no change


Read more...

Lake Forest Park police calls

Graphic courtesy LFP PD
Lake Forest Park Police Department
Weekly Calls 3/25 - 4/8

Your officers responded to 392 calls for service or self initiated investigations. This includes the following:
  • 48 Suspicious Circumstances
  • 3 Traffic Collisions 
  • 8 Thefts
  • 8 Alarms
  • 4 Disturbances
  • 12 - 911 calls
  • 15 Welfare Checks
  • 3 Residential Burglaries
  • 4 CPS/APS
* While we don't typically respond to comments on social media, you are encouraged to call the non emergency number should you have any questions. 206-364-8216



Read more...

Flags at half-staff Saturday for WA Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst

 
Flag Lowering - 4/9/22 (WA Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst)

Governor Inslee is deeply saddened by the death of retired Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Elizabeth Fairhurst, 64, and direct that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff on Saturday, April 9, 2022. In honor and remembrance of Justice Fairhurst, who passed on Tuesday, December 28, 2021.

The Governor’s Office has no objection to agencies lowering the flags at the close of business on Friday, April 8, 2022. Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business or sunset on Saturday, April 9, 2022, or first thing Monday morning, April 11.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, April 9th at Saint Martin’s University Marcus Pavilion in Lacey at 1:30pm.

Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join this recognition.

Please email FlagRequests@gov.wa.gov if you have any questions about this flag lowering.



Read more...

Shorewood Softball vs. Archbishop Murphy 4-8-22


Shorewood 6 - Archbishop Murphy 0 
at Meridian Park 4-8-22
Coach Paul Jensen






Pitcher(s) and Catcher(s)    

Archbishop Murphy: 
  • Gabriel Cummings
  • Latta (catcher)
Shorewood:
  • Rebecca Carson
  • Riley Wheaton (catcher)
Highlights

Archbishop Murphy: 
  • Hogne 1-3
Shorewood: 
  • Skylar Tillman 2-3 (2B)             
  • Cate Wheaton 1-3 (HR)                     
  • Riley Wheaton 2-2


Read more...

Scene on the Sound: Ovation of the Seas cruises by

Photo by Bill Schnall

Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas cruises by Richmond Beach on Friday, heading into the cruise line dock in Elliott Bay. 



Read more...

WeatherWatcher: Wild Weekend Ahead, even snow is forecast

 

Convergence zone snow event in Shoreline.
Photo taken April 18, 2008 at 7:09 pm PDT, by Carl Dinse.

Snow is in the weekend forecast; how can that be in April? It's not the first time for Shoreline, even during the recent decades of the global warming era. It is however very unusual; the above photo is from the last recorded April snowfall in Shoreline. You'll note that it was daylight at 7:09pm, with snow covering the road.

The 2008 snow event was the result of very cold air above us and a strong convergence zone event stretching west to east, with Everett at the northern end of the zone and Shoreline at the southern end of the zone. We got about 3-8 inches accumulated on the ground in that event, but it was very short lived, lasting less than 12 hours.

Back to the present, snow is forecast this weekend during the overnight hours down to 200 feet in elevation. This covers most parts of Shoreline and northern parts of Lake Forest Park away from the lake. No accumulation is expected, and any that does stick will quickly melt away as daylight breaks. The best chance of any snow will be the early morning hours Sunday morning and Monday morning.

Another type of weather also has a slight chance of happening Friday night through Saturday night. There is enough unstable air in the mix for convective showers and with that, hail and thunderstorms are possible. The chances of a thunderstorm or hailstorm are as low as accumulating snow.

Breezy north and west winds are expected through the weekend, Monday morning could be the worst of it as a deep low-pressure system moves onshore near the Washington and Oregon border. The strongest winds will be south and west of this low-pressure system; however our region will be mostly spared of any damaging winds.

After we get past Monday morning we will resume our regularly scheduled April weather, seasonable temperatures with highs in the mid-upper 50's and lows in the 40's. Chances of rain are forecast through all next week. It'll be a little while before we enjoy another dry day in the 70's.

Speaking of dry days in the 70's, Thursday was our warmest day of the year so far, clocking in at a high temperature of 79.0°F in the Echo Lake neighborhood and 73°F in the Richmond Beach neighborhood. Marine air greatly influenced the cooler temperatures in Richmond Beach and Echo Lake was getting the east wind warming effects.


For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com



Read more...

Notes from Shoreline council meeting April 4, 2022

Pam Cross, reporter
Shoreline City Council Meeting
April 4, 2022

Notes by Pam Cross

The remote meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Mayor Scully.

CM McConnell was excused for personal reasons

Proclamation
I, Keith Scully, Mayor of the City of Shoreline, on behalf of the Shoreline City Council, do hereby proclaim the month of April as SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH in the City of Shoreline and join advocates and communities throughout King County in taking action to prevent sexual violence by standing with survivors. Together, we commit to a safer future for all children, young people, adults, and families in our community.

Approval of the Agenda
The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.

Report of the City Manager, Debbie Tarry

Volunteers for Park Planting Events
We wish to thank the volunteers who worked planting in both Twin Ponds and Darnell Parks on March 26, 2022. If you are interested in upcoming events, please visit shoreline.greencitypartnerships.org

Shoreline Walks


Public Reminders


Council Reports

CM Pobee attended the SeaShore Transportation meeting related to the new ORCA card. You don’t need a new card, they will update their software.

Public Comment (name, city, topic)


Speaking regarding 8(a) notice of tree removal in ROW
  • Melody Fosmore, Shoreline, TPCT (Tree Protection Code Team) member
  • Gayle Janzen, North Seattle, TPCT member
  • Kathleen Russell Shoreline
  • Rebecca Jones, Seattle
  • Nancy Morris, Shoreline
Jackie Kurle, Shoreline, The Oaks Enhanced Shelter

New planned 7-story apartment in Richmond Highlands
  • Courtney Ewing, Shoreline
  • Derek Blackwell, Shoreline
Approval of the Consent Calendar
The Consent Calendar was approved unanimously.

8(a) Discussion of Ordinance No. 960 - Amending Shoreline Municipal Code Chapter 12.30 Public Tree Management

Presented by Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director


The PRCS/Tree Board evaluated the TPCT’s suggested amendment, which proposed a 90-day notification period for right-of-way (ROW) tree removal, and recommended that the notification period for the removal of non-hazardous trees in the ROW be set at 45 days; less than the TPCT proposal but greater than the current 14-day requirement in the Shoreline Engineering Development Manual.

While appreciating the objective of the PRCS/Tree Board to provide greater time for public engagement relating to removal of public trees from the ROW, staff did not recommend increasing this notification period from 14 to 45 days for the following reasons:
  1. Increasing the noticing period for ROW tree removal could cause delay in City projects as well as other public and private development projects. When a ROW Permit is issued, the tree removal(s) have been reviewed and permitted through the ROW permit process and noticing on the tree for removal time greater than 14 days will not change the outcome of the removal. The permit holder may bear additional cost in time delay.
  2. Managing and responding to additional public input generated by the additional 31 days of notification time (for a total of 45 days) detracts from staff work to accomplish other priority projects, with no potential to impact or change the outcome of removal.
Staff is proposing some clean-up to the language in SMC Chapter 12.30 to reflect current delegation authority and to provide clarity for these regulations.

DISCUSSION

The length of time of notification will not change the outcome? What about the WSDOT project on Dayton?
  • Reply Debbie Tarry: The permits had not been issued yet on the WSDOT project. We are talking about notification following permit issuance.
Since everything has to be discussed before the permit is issued, I think 14 days is enough. At the most I would recommend 3 weeks but it’s important to keep things moving along in our our City. We have just made incredible changes to our code and it’s the codes that determine whether or not trees can come down and how they are replaced. There are a lot of goals that we have, there are a lot of other issues and there is a finite amount of time and staff to work on the vast number of very very pressing issues. My question to other Councilmembers is “where do we want to press pause” on those other very important issues?

My concern is not whether it’s 14 days or 45 days, but that the decision has already been made when the notification happens. Is there an easy way we could make notification earlier? They want to know what trees are going to be removed BEFORE they are removed so they can do something about it.
  • Reply Debbie Tarry: The regulations in the Development Code, adopted by Council, determine how we review development applications. That is the process that has to be followed consistently. And plans change as we go through the review process so the final plans may look a little different. It is a time-consuming process. We don’t currently have a way to report on things like the final tree removal. That would be a great goal to get to.
In the section Resources/financial impact, it says these changes will have no fiscal impact but other changes will have an impact. How?
  • Reply: The financial impact would come if we were directed to have the longer time. The expectation is that would require additional staff time in order to manage and respond to the public input. And that would mean either changing priorities and not doing something else (opportunity cost), or adding staff (direct financial cost).
I feel we need to do more analysis.

I need a clearer understanding of what public input is allowed prior to permitting. If nothing, we need to add that opportunity.
  • Reply Debbie Tarry: There are certain requirements for neighborhood meetings for certain types of developments. We will provide you with additional information.
Extending the time after it’s been decided just adds a delay. Our state is very big on transparency so that the public always has the right to comment - even if doesn’t have any effect on the project. But it will have an effect on future projects. I disagree that this is something challenging to implement. When you get a proposal that may impact a street tree, you wrap something around the trunk of that tree which says a development proposal may require removal of this tree. That allows the neighborhood or pedestrians to see what is happening. Then you provide a number to call if you want to comment. In the end, we have a set of policies in place that govern whether staff will approve or deny a particular permit application, and the fact that there is public outcry won’t change that. And shouldn’t change that. But it’s a way to let people comment.

Councilmembers are in agreement that this ordinance be brought back on the Consent Calendar.

8(b) Discussion of Ordinance No. 961 Unlimited Tax General Obligation (UTGO) Bond 2022 – Park Improvement and Park Land Acquisition and Ordinance No. 962 Amending Ordinance No. 929 Limited Tax General Obligation Bond Anticipation Notes

Presented by Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director

On February 8, 2022, Shoreline voters approved Proposition 1 (Parks) with nearly 70% of voters supporting the proposition. Proposed Ordinance No. 961 authorizes the issuance of unlimited tax general obligation bonds (Bonds) in the principal amount of up to $38.5M to finance and refinance: parks improvements to five neighborhood parks; investments in park amenities for three additional parks; and the acquisition and improvement of new park land and public art. Current costs have driven the total past $38.5M to $41.9M, however we can fill that gap with grant funding, which we are aggressively seeking. A contribution from the General Fund could make up the difference.


Proposed Ordinance No. 962 further amends Ordinance No. 829 to allow a three-year extension of the *BAN related to the purchase of the Midvale Avenue N property while the City evaluates options for pursuing a future bond measure for an aquatics and community center.

*A Bond Anticipation Note (BAN) is a short-term interest-bearing security issued in advance of a larger, future bond issue. Bond anticipation notes are smaller short-term bonds that are issued by corporations and governments, such as local municipalities, wishing to generate funds for upcoming projects.


We have received approval to implement this process for the park improvement projects. This method is more efficient and will allow us to bring in the projects at the lowest cost with the highest level of flexibility in accomplishing what we’ve promised to the residents.

DISCUSSION

What 4 properties were purchased with bond anticipation notes (BAN)?
  • Reply: They were the properties at Rotary Park but I will confirm it.
Looking at components for making up the shortfall due to inflation, how is the General Fund allowed to support that?
  • Reply: The General Fund can support any of the City’s other funds.
I’m very pleased with the aggressive approach to these projects and look forward to seeing them.

I have a question regarding the storage property on Midvale Avenue N. We need to have a policy discussion about what we are going to do with this property: whether we’re going to hold it, what we’re going to do with it, and what’s going on. I’m concerned about putting this in with an ordinance that’s about new parks. How do we have that policy discussion? Rolling this in with a pretty unrelated bond measure means we not having a discussion for a long time.
  • Reply: Right now we’re doing a feasibility study around options for a future pool and community center so I think the policy discussion would happen at that time. With interest rates going up, we think it’s better to lock in a rate now.
  • Reply Debbie Tarry: We are getting $100k planning grant to use with the cities of Kenmore and Lake Forest Park for looking into alternatives for locating an aquatics solution in North King County. We’ll be able to see how the storage property fits into that.
We did a good analysis about where the aquatic facility should be. This property has always been central to the city and I don’t see why we would consider moving away from it unless another property became available that would be better.

Why not put the property on the market right now?
  • Reply: We have options. This extension can be prepaid anytime giving us full flexibility. Otherwise we would be holding it for 3 years and paying the interest which is less flexible.
These are two separate ordinances presented at once, so we could pull one without affecting the other?
  • Reply: Yes.
Councilmembers are in agreement that this ordinance be brought back on the Consent Calendar.

8(c) Discussion of the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) Update: Draft Transit, Shared-use Mobility, and Pedestrian Plan

Presented by Nora Daley-Peng, Senior Transportation Planner

The purpose of this agenda item is to provide the City Council with the fifth in a series of briefings about the TMP with a presentation on the TMP draft Transit, Shared-use Mobility, and Pedestrian Plans.

The City is actively working with Sound Transit, King County Metro, and Community Transit to plan effective bus connections to/from the future light rail stations as well as throughout our city. Since King County Metro, Community Transit, and Sound Transit operate transit service in Shoreline, the City’s investments in transit service are generally limited to providing access to transit and hosting transit service on city streets.


Shoreline wants additional transit service on the priority corridors to enhance speed and reliability for the community.


Shared-use mobility is a fairly new concept in transportation planning. It focuses on providing multiple forms of transportation that people can share either at the same time such as taking a bus, carpool, or light rail or one after the other, like using bike share, scooter share, or car share.

Mobility hubs are places of connectivity where different modes of transportation come together seamlessly at concentrations of employment, housing, shopping, and recreation. They can include space for bike share, scooter share, car share, as well as curb space for ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft. 

They also can provide creature comforts like public bathrooms, information kiosks, outdoor seating, bike parking, public art, and cell-phone recharging stations. Shoreline is looking at potentially 18 mobility hubs. The study, Making Better Connections: Shoreline Shared-Use Mobility Study can be seen here.


The draft pedestrian plan considered existing as well as planned sidewalks, trails, pedestrian/bicycle bridges and pathways. Staff did not propose any additional new sidewalks since that was covered in the Sidewalk Prioritization Plan process.


Staff will return to Council to present the TMP draft Bicycle Plan on April 18.

DISCUSSION

Where will the funding come from for the Mobility Hubs, recognizing that some things will be provided by a private operator (scooter share for example)?
  • Reply: This is pretty high level at this point, and you are correct. We need to recognize that we need to maximize use of light rail by providing these hubs, but we haven’t drilled down to funding yet. We wanted to identify strategic locations as a good first step. There could be the potential for partnerships or future grants. We looked at this as an emerging technology that we want to plan for, and if there is interest, move into a feasibility study.
There is a balance between visionary and achievable. Places other than around the light rail stations may not have right-of-way property available and partnerships are unlikely outside of the station areas. I’m ok with the concept, but I don’t want to put a lot of emphasis on this because there are a lot of other priorities (sidewalks, potholes, bike lanes).

I think there are sidewalks that need to be built and should be added to this plan.

How will Outreach #3 work as we emerge from virtual meetings? Are we going to do any in-person outreach? Or all online?
  • Reply: We’ve looked at strategies to connect to all people. Pop-up Posters is one idea. We want you to see them everywhere from school cafeterias to Hopelink. We want to make them self-guided posters with comment cards. We will also include added staff hours, an online survey and yard signs with QR codes. We will also prepare shorter 3 minute powerpoint presentations instead of 5 minutes, recognizing that people’s time is limited.
Thank you for your efforts to assist in addressing climate change by encouraging people to get out of their cars. We need people to be enthusiastic.

8(d) Update on the Wastewater Rate Study Project and Policy Discussion

Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director, introduced
Gordon Wilson, Senior Program Manager, FCS Group, who made the presentation.

The City assumed the Ronald Wastewater District on April 30, 2021. After assumption,
the City retained FCS Group (FCSG) to conduct a wastewater rate structure.


Issue 1: Capital Funding Tools
The key idea here is that there is a difference between cost responsibility and financing.
Financing is just a matter of paying now or paying later. The big question is whether somebody else will need to pay (grants, contractual partnerships, property owner funding) or whether we need to pay (rate funding, reserves, debt). Changing cost responsibility makes a big difference. If it’s just a shift in the timing, it makes a smaller difference.

  • Cash funding (pay as you go) is good for repair and replacement projects that are scalable and that you can plan for far in advance. It avoids interest but adds the cost of inflation.
  • Debt financing is useful for really large one-time projects where, if you had to wait to get it funded, you’d pay a lot more in inflation costs. But you’ll add interest.
It’s a balancing act, but you don’t want to lean on debt too heavily. We’ll come back to you later this summer with what balance makes sense for this utility. Ronald WW came to the City without any outstanding debt. So the City has a good starting point.

Issue 2: Low-Income Customer Assistance Programs
Washington State may be the only state that has explicit Statutory Authority for Low-Income Rates. 

Some states prohibit it, still others are silent on it.

There are four levels of utility assistance programs. Shoreline currently has level one which applies to seniors who own their own home. Unfortunately it only reaches about 5% of the low-income residents. 

Should Shoreline expand this program? Again, there are trade-offs. Larger participation in assistance programs can affect the rates paid by others. This is a complicated topic, so the details of an expanded low-income program might not be ready within the time frame of this rate study.

Issue 3: Wastewater Rate Design Options
Current residential customers are charged two separate charges for wastewater service:
  1. City charge which is a flat charge per unit to recover cost of collection, transmission and administration and
  2. Treatment charge which is a flat charge per unit to recover treatment costs paid to King County or the City of Edmonds. Most of these costs are paid to King County, based directly on the number of residential customer-equivalents (RCEs).
There has been recent interest in whether to incorporate a volumetric component to residential wastewater rates. Having looked the considerations for Shoreline, we suggest keeping the current flat rate design.


DISCUSSION

I support the staff recommendations for #1 and #3. My only hope in terms of the broad financing piece, is that we continue to contribute enough maintenance that we’re continuing to make strides in keeping the system working well. We need to stay ahead of maintenance needs.

We are giving thousands of dollars to Hopelink for utility assistance. I realize we need to do more to remove the barriers to people applying for this assistance, but through Hopelink we’re providing this assistance already to people who are living in multifamily households. I think we can do more and I think we should. Designing our own program might be overly complicated to administer.

  • Reply: If we teamed with Seattle City Light and we accepted their qualification, it might make it a pretty limited administrative burden. SCL has about 2,200 Shoreline residents that currently receive their low income reduction. Rebates to renters would be a tremendous administrative burden so that is why we did not recommend that level of utility assistance.
  • Reply Gordon Wilson: I did not include Hopelink when I referred to only 5% of residents receiving reduced utility bills because I don’t have data on that. The question that every municipality is struggling with now: is that enough? Should we be more aggressive to make sure that all the people affected by the rate increases (that we have to consider in order to keep our system up) are provided with enough support? Do we want to go there? Right now you have 310 people in the wastewater reduced utility program. If SCL has 2,200, that means there are a lot more people out there who need help. But the rate impact of expanding from 310 to 2,200 would be really noticeable. If you broaden the base by that much, maybe we should offer something less than a 50% discount in order to keep the rate impact manageable. Also, administrative costs will undoubtedly be charged to Shoreline by SCL so we can’t really avoid administrative costs. And the rate revenue has to be made up. Is it worth charging everybody 3.1% more in order to help low income people by $31/month? That’s the question and you can’t answer that without the numbers.
  • Sara Lane responds: That is why we are recommending that we model a couple of different options that staff could bring back, because the variables are incredible. If Council is interested in exploring this further, we could model a couple of different options and see what that looks like and provide more guidance for Council. You might then realize you can’t do that option.

I don’t think people think of utility bills separately. We talk about the cost of housing which is inclusive of utility bills. So as we work to try to reduce the cost of housing, the utility bills will be a little less of a burden.

If we reduce the cost of utilities here, the money still has to come from somewhere. So we will really need to see more numbers.

Rates are going to go up, and they’re going to keep going up very significantly. We need to keep that in mind in trying to determine the most efficient way with the limited funding the we have.

The cost of utilities is a real burden on a lot of seniors and low-income adults. Paying utility bills for them can help prevent evictions.

The entry points for these homelessness programs on the West Coast are so much greater than the City can handle. So we need to keep people in their homes. There’s not much we can do about affordable housing. This is something we CAN do. Utilities are a big deal. We need to look at all options. And we need to do something rather than nothing. .

Meeting Adjourned 9:24pm



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

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

Back to TOP