Gloria's Birds: I've looked at life from both sides, now, said Rudy the Red-winged Blackbird

Saturday, May 14, 2022

 
Redwing singing
Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

Vigilant blackbird indeed! 

He changed directions several times while singing his territorial tune.)

--Gloria Z. Nagler

Redwing singing the other way
Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler



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Candidate filing week May 16-20

Candidates looking to run for office this year will have the opportunity to put their name on the ballot during the upcoming filing week of May 16 through May 20, 2022.

King County Elections encourages all candidates to file online. Online filing opens at 9am on May 16 and is open 24 hours a day until 4pm on May 20.

In-person assistance will be available for those who need it at King County Elections Headquarters in Renton. Candidates in need of assistance can also call 206-296-1565.

Candidates can also file by mail. Mailed filings must be received no later than 4:30pm on May 20, regardless of postmark.

The final deadline to withdraw one’s name from the ballot is 4:30 pm on Monday, May 23.

An updated list of candidate filings will be posted by noon and by 6pm each day until the filing week ends. The list will be finalized following the withdrawal deadline.

There are many offices subject to election this year, including U.S. Senate, statewide office, legislative seats, and more. You can find the complete list of offices subject to election in King County on our website here.

Candidates can find more information about how, when, and where to file on our website here. They can also sign up for notifications by email to get alerts about deadlines and other candidate-related information.

Candidates looking for more information, please visit our website or call 206-296-1565.



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Reminder: plant sales Saturday in Lake Forest Park, Prince of Peace, and Twin Ponds

Twin Ponds Food Bank Garden
No matter where you live, there's a plant sale for you on Saturday. And it's not an unreasonable distance to get to all three!

Lake Forest Park Garden Club plant sale Saturday the 14th from 9am to 2pm (or sooner if all the plants are gone) at the LFP Elementary. School at 37th Ave. NE and Ballinger Way NE. (see article)

Prince of Peace plant sale at 14514 20th Ave NE, Shoreline 98155, Saturday May 14th from 10am to 3pm (see article). Affordable prices and a portion of the funds raised help sustain POPY’s CAFÉ free Wednesday community meal sponsored by Prince of Peace and Dale Turner YMCA.

Twin Ponds Food Bank Garden Saturday 10am to 2pm. Cash only. We'll have tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs, mint, sunflowers, strawberry and raspberry starts and even dahlia tubers! (see article)



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ShoreLake Arts: Last call for Battle of the Bands

2022 ShoreLake Arts Battle of the Bands

Last Call for Bands
Applications Due: Sunday, May 15, 2022

The 2022 ShoreLake Arts Battle of the Bands returns to Lake Forest Park this August! Bands battle it out over three nights to win cash and top industry prizes. This annual competition provides emerging artists a platform and a unique pathway to build musical skills and network with industry professionals from the Annex Room Studio and the world famous Robert Lang Studios featuring the Robert Lang Studios Academy.

Unbelievable Prizes:

1st Place: $1,500
One day of recording at Robert Lang Studios in Shoreline, WA

Runner Up: $1,000
Gear Package from Mackie:
2 x Thrash 215 Loudspeakers
2 x T-100 tripod stands
2 x EM-89D dynamic microphone

People's Choice: $500
One day of recording at Robert Lang Studios in Shoreline, WA

Honorarium: Each band selected to take part in the competition 
will receive a $300 honorarium for their participation in the event.

Deadline to apply: Sunday, May 15, 2022 - do not miss your chance.
There is a $5 non refundable application fee.

Application Requirements:
  • Music must be original (no covers allowed)
  • All genres of music accepted
  • Bands must be working in Washington State
  • Bands must have proper license to all copyrighted music, video, and images included in the duration of their involvement.
  • Competition restricted to bands (not solo musicians)
  • All entries are final and may not be withdrawn from the event once submitted
  • By submitting an entry to the ShoreLake Battle of the Bands, you attest that all information provided is accurate and complete, that you have the authority to submit said entry for consideration, and that you have read, understand, and agree to all terms of entry
  • You must not have won a previous ShoreLake Battle of the Bands competition.
Notifications will be sent out by May 27, 2022. Tickets for the live, open air concerts will be available online June 20, 2022.


Where:

Pfingst Animal Acres Park
17435 Brookside Blvd NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

When:
  • Semi-Final Pool #1: Monday, August 1
  • Semi-Final Pool #2: Tuesday, August 2
  • Final: Saturday, August 6
Questions? Email Teresa Pape at programs@shorelakearts.org

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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Open house at The Polytech private high school at Northgate

Commercial-grade driving simulator allows driving practice
Photo courtesy ParentMap.com

The Polytech, a private high school that continues working with students through age 26 to support the transition to college and career, invites you to stop in at your convenience during their open house on Thursday May 19, 2022 from 3:30-6:00pm. Our staff will be available to help families plan for the summer and 2022-23 school year.

Want to accelerate your studies? The Polytech grants advance access to college level training programs to high school juniors and seniors. All classes can become part of a high school diploma, or we also offer our own high school credits using a one-on-one and small group instruction format that allows us to customize instruction for individual student needs. Our teachers all have master's degrees and experience working with neurodiverse students.

Want to start your school year strong? The Polytech offers one-on-one tutoring in all academic subjects as well as executive function skills such as organization, time management, breaking down large assignments into manageable pieces, and studying for tests in addition to completing written assignments. Summer is a great time to prep for a new school year.

Not sure what to do? Career interest assessments can help identify the overlap between interests, skills, and preferred work environment, and our career consultants explain the results with both written reports and a one-on-one meeting that outlines next steps for long-term career planning, choosing a college major, or an immediate job search.

In addition to traditional academic and career-related courses, The Polytech offers help with the skills necessary to transition to adulthood. They offer a short course on food safety that enables students to earn a WA Food Worker card, plus culinary arts classes where students cook in their own kitchens with feedback from the online teacher in real time. 

They provide prep for the written exam to get a driving permit, and have a commercial-grade driving simulator to allow practice in a variety of weather and traffic conditions. It's a perfect way to boost confidence before driving in an actual vehicle, and allows neurodiverse and anxious drivers to experience risky driving scenarios in a safe environment.

Visit The Polytech on May 19th to learn more! It is located at 540 NE Northgate Way in Suite D, Seattle.



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High School water polo thriving in Shoreline

Shorewood and Shorecrest girls water polo teams

Water polo is not yet a sport sanctioned by the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the governing body for high school sports, but that is not stopping the sport from thriving at Shorewood and Shorecrest.

The popularity of water polo has grown enough that the two Shoreline high schools were each able to field teams this year for the Spring season. In previous years, it had been necessary for the two schools to have a combined team.

The teams compete in a league of approximately 25 high schools around the greater Puget Sound region. As a club sport, the teams are responsible for most of their expenses including: pool rentals, equipment, paying referees, tournament costs, etc. As a result, the players have fundraising responsibilities in addition to practices and games.

The success of these programs is due largely to the work and dedication of Coach Mira Ho of Shorewood and Coach Nick Maxwell of Shorecrest. Nick and Mira have been involved in the water polo community for years. They dedicate countless hours of coaching and teaching. They are active not only at the high school level, but they are also heavily involved with youth polo programs.

The high school regular season wraps up this week. Shorewood will be advancing to the post season that begins with a tournament on May 21-22, 2022 and Shorecrest will fall just short of qualifying.

Regardless of the standings, the season has been a huge success for high school water polo in Shoreline, and the future of the sport is bright.



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School Board adopts resolution to reduce staffing to balance budget

Shoreline School Board, Superintendents, Finance

Statement from the Shoreline School District

At the Shoreline School Board meeting earlier this week, one of the items on the agenda was the adoption of Resolution 2022-3, Non-Supervisory and Supervisory Certificated Employee Reduction Authorization for the 2022-2023 School Year, as recommended by the Superintendent. 

While the state provided some level of one-time funding in the form of enrollment stabilization, which was approved by the legislature this spring, it will not be enough to balance the 2022-23 budget.

Additionally, we are forecasting lower enrollment over the next four years. With lower enrollment comes reduced funding from the state and a reduction in the amount of levy funds that the district will be able to collect. Thus, the projected revenues will not be sufficient to balance the budget and maintain our current educational program and staffing for the coming year.

The Shoreline School Board adopted Resolution 2022-3. However, the adoption of the resolution included direction from the Board for the following:

  • Establish the general fund balance target at 4%, which is within board policy (4% to 5%), and will allow for fewer FTE reductions
  • In an effort to possibly increase enrollment, accept boundary exceptions (process and timing to be determined)
  • Begin a process to engage stakeholders in a review and exploration of “right-sizing” our district budget and school district system in light of the future enrollment forecast
  • Provide a mechanism for community feedback that incorporates those most affected

Shoreline Schools has an incredible team of staff across the district, and their thoughtful, caring, and intentional work of supporting students and providing the best learning experiences is critical for their success. 

Because of this, staffing reductions are always a last resort in addressing fiscal challenges. However, with 87 percent of the school district’s budget allocated to salaries and benefits, there is no easy way to prepare for the level of reduced revenue the district is likely facing without addressing staffing levels. 

And while approval of the RIF (Reduction In Force) resolution was needed to begin tackling this challenge, district leadership will continue to work to address budget issues with the least amount of impact on students, staff, and families.

Adoption of the RIF resolution does not necessarily mean that the total number of FTEs (Full Time Employees) authorized will be eliminated or reduced. 

State law requires certificated staff to be notified by May 15 each year if a certificated employee’s contract might not be renewed or might be reduced for the upcoming school year. 

Certificated staffing is not the only place where cuts and efficiencies are being considered (non-employee-related costs and classified staffing will need to be reduced as well); however, certificated staff are the only staff members who must be notified by May 15 if their contract is being affected by cuts. 

District leadership will continue to monitor enrollment and projected revenue, as well as vacancies created by employee leaves, resignations, and retirements, with the goal of minimizing actual position reductions to the extent possible.



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Shoreline Historical Museum exhibit highlights Seattle Japanese American Citizens League with special guest Saturday

Kenneth Doutt, Shoreline Historical Museum Director (back row) with Gidget Numoto Terpstra (in kimono) and visitors to the museum. Photo by Sally Yamasaki

The month of May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month-- a time observed in the United States to recognize the contributions and influences of our AAPI American history and achievements.

In honor of this, The Shoreline Historical Museum has an exhibit highlighting the Seattle Japanese American Citizens League’s 100 years of existence which includes the time of WWII and President Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066.

Folded cranes: one of the activities Gidget
guides you to make.
Photo by Sally Yamasaki
This executive order forced from their homes approximately 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry, a majority of whom were American citizens, and relocated them into prison camps.

The exhibit will be at the Shoreline Historical Museum until May 18, 2022. 

Special guest Gidget Numoto Terpstra will be at the museum on Saturday May 14th from 12pm – 4pm to share her internment experience.

The Shoreline Historical Museum is located at 18501 Linden Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133.



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The Garden Guy: Living with Lavender

Garden Guy Bruce Bennett
By Bruce Bennett

Last summer was a prime growing season for lavender in the Greater Seattle area and several questions concerning this versatile sub-shrub did hit my email in-box. Consequently, in preparation for this summer, let’s talk about several forms of this great Mediterranean perennial which might fit well in your landscape. 

We’ll also figure out why one person’s lavender thrives and their neighbor’s is good for only the compost pile. The reasons are fairly simple; lavender type, drainage and good intentions. Let’s talk details...

Western Washington is considered to have a moderate Mediterranean Climate or, more precisely, a Summer-Dry Climate. Virtually all types of lavender (botanical name: Lavandula) will enjoy our summers. But, we also want plants that can survive our damp, cold winters. In this case, not all varieties make the cut.

Lavender fields. Photos courtesy pixers.uk
There are more than four hundred varieties of lavender. 

Depending on parentage, the one-gallon little guy you crave from the nursery could be classified as tender, half-hardy or hardy in our USDA Zone 8 region. 

Each of the three groups have their own pros and cons. These distinct differences will determine where you can successfully grow them. 

When you are shopping at your favorite garden center, you will probably see Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), L. x intermedia (aka, lavandins), L. stoechas (Spanish Lavender) and L. dentata (French Lavender). 

And, there are certainly other varieties and cultivars out there as well. This will be the time for your first major decision – where do you want to grow your plant, indoors or outside. Your second question is do you have the proper spot to plant it. Finally, just how much of an attentive gardener are you?

Lavender Window Sill
Photo courtesy gardeningknowhow.com
For those who want an indoor plant which can bloom for a great part of year, L. dentata ‘Goodwin Creek Gray’ is a good choice.

This tender to half-hardy variety has light gray, fern-like leaves which contrast nicely with its dark purple flowers. 

It is one of the best lavenders to grow in a container on a south- or west-facing the window sill. It can be brought outdoors from late Spring to early Autumn.

Lavender Otto Quast
Photo courtesy ecgrowers.com
If you want to add a different style of flower to your lavender beds, Spanish Lavender will fill the bill. 

With their short, petal-topped blooms, they will add a nice bit of texture to your beds. 

As a half-hardy variety, they will do its best when planted on the south-side of the house.




Lavender of Provence
Photo courtesy natureandgarden.com
For the epicureans and scent seekers among you, take a look at the hybrids. L. x intermedia ‘Grosso’ is among the most fragrant of the varieties. 

Its dark purple blooms are used for making perfumes, sachets and filling a room with a pleasant aroma. One of the tallest of the group at, 36”, is L. x intermedia ‘Provence’ (pictured at left) and its light-lavender blue flowers are the quintessential lavender blooms you will see in the fields of southern France.

Finally, there are the other gray-foliaged, hardiest-of-their-kind lavenders, the English Lavender. 

The Old Guard stalwarts of this group are ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’. These vertically-challenged varieties will mature to 18” – 20” tall and slightly wider. 

Although shorter in stature than most of the others, they have an excellent fragrance and have a 2,000 year history in providing that quality to we discerning humans. They are also a top choice for low hedges and cut or dried flowers which come in shades of purple or white.
 
English lavender
By most reviews, they are also among the tastiest for cooking savories and sweets. The fact they rebloom in autumn is just another added benefit.

With their development history based in the Mediterranean basin, it makes sense that lavenders need as much Northwest sun as they can get. Coming from a rocky native stratum, lavenders are accustomed to a lean and slightly alkaline soil. (If you are uncertain about your soil’s pH, send a sample to the King Conservation District. The first five tests are free.) and good drainage.

Finally, while all of us try to be attentive gardeners with our plants, amending, irrigating, fertilizing, etc., most of these beneficial tasks are counter-intuitive to what lavender actual prefer. 

Being too good to your plant can be the kiss of death and reduce the scent of the blooms. Lavenders prefer lean soil, which means you don’t want to improve your clay soil with too much compost. Consider adding coarse sand, perlite or vermiculite to lighten the soil and improve the drainage. This one action can save your plants from water-logged root-rot in winter which is the primary cause of the untimely death of lavender. 

These plants are accustomed to a slightly alkaline soil of 6.5 – 7.0. If you have a low pH, add dolomite lime. (If you are uncertain about your soil’s pH, send a sample of the garden bed to the King Conservation District. The first five of your tests are free.)

Another water issue, first-year plants should be irrigated once a week to help their roots better establish. After that first year, other than irrigating once a month during the summer months, do not add water. The plants and your PUD water bill will thank you.

Lavender and Rocks
Photo courtesy backyardgardenlover.com
PIC-GRAVEL MULCH Finally, when it comes to adding a layer of mulch to suppress weeds and protect roots from undue heat or cold, consider your best mulch-of-choice to be a 2” layer of sand or white pebbles. 

These two materials improve drainage and will reflect the sun’s heat back up to the lavender.

Lavenders require little time and attention. Considering the year-round positive impacts they will have in your garden with their foliage, fragrant flowers and pollinator-friendly affinities, they will be welcomed new additions to your landscapes. 

Until next month, Happy Gardening all!

Clinics Alert - WSU Master Gardener Clinics across the county will be reopening again in May! Check the Master Gardener Foundation of King County website (mgfkc.org) for the days, times and locations. 

We’ll be happy to see you again! The email clinic (ask-a-mastergardener@live.com) which has been in operation during the pandemic service will also remain active during this time.

Contributing columnist, Bruce Bennett, is a WSU Master Gardener, lecturer and garden designer. If you have questions concerning this column, have a question to ask or want to suggest a topic for a future column, contact Bruce at gardenguy4u@gmail.com



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Shoreline Walks Echo Lake

Friday, May 13, 2022

 

Meet at Echo Lake Elementary, 19345 Wallingford Ave N, at 10am on Saturday May 14, 2020 for the latest Shoreline Walks.

Led by Walk Leader Donna, this one explores several parks in the Echo Lake Neighborhood.

Arrive at 9:45am for a quick tour of the Native Plant Garden at the elementary school.




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Shorewood girls tennis take top spots in 3A Girls Tennis South league tournament

Shorewood sophomore Emily Lin is
the single champion in 3A South tennis
Photo by Ms Fukuma
The 3A Girls Tennis South league tournament was held at Shorewood High School on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10-11, 2022

Each team in the South league entered their top two singles players and doubles teams to try to place in the top four to qualify for the following week's District 1 tournament at Snohomish High School.

The District 1 tournament, May 17th and 18th is the first regional step of the WIAA State tournament.

The top four placers from District 1 qualify to play at the WIAA State tournament in Richland, Washington at Hanford High School May 27th and 28th


Emily Lin, the top singles player for Shorewood, continued her unbroken winning record as she played against Katelynne Wyckoff of Meadowdale 6-0 6-0 and then Shorecrest senior Flora Cummings 6-1 6-0

Shorewood's #2 player, freshman Rylie Gettmann, worked her way up the brackets, first beating Shorecrest's Cami Sikora 6-1 6-1, then Edmonds-Woodway's Paige Oliver 6-2 6-3, then Meadowdale's Sidney Wright 6-2 6-2.

Finally, the battle for the top position was between Emily and Rylie. Neither had lost this year. In three sets 2-6 7-5 7-5 Emily Lin took the top spot and Rylie Gettman 2nd place.

Shorecrest's Flora Cummings placed #5, just out of the running for the District 1 level.

Shorewood juniors Lindsay Rand and Sophia Serwold 
take the top doubles spot in the 3A South league
Photo by Ms Fukuma 
Shorewood's top doubles team juniors Lindsay Rand and Sophia Serwold
maintained their unbroken win record to take the top doubles place. 

To do so they had to beat their teammates Emma Nelson and Emma Okamura, 6-0 4-6 6-1. 

Lindsay and Sophia were the 2nd doubles team from SW. They beat the Emma’s who were the 1st seed.
 
Lindsay and Sophia mainly played singles during the year, but teamed up together to make a strong team and ended up winning the South League Doubles Tournament.
 
Shorewood finished #1 and #2 in doubles. Third place was the Edmonds-Woodway team and fourth Mountlake Terrace.

Megan Hicks and Dacotah Poole of Shorecrest placed 6th.  

All six Shorewood players advance to the District 1 tournament at Snohomish High School next week May 17-18 in the first regional step of the WIAA State tournament.


5-15-22 added information about the doubles teams.


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Goslings on the roof

Photo by Martin DeGrazia

Melissa DeGrazia spotted this nest of goslings on the moss covered roof over the sign at Ronald Bog. Since they usually learn how to swim before they fly, I'm not sure how this is going to work out.

Hard to tell how many family units are in this photo by Martin DeGrazia

There were a lot of nests on the ground, though and the parents were all out herding their babies.

Photo by Martin DeGrazia

And here's a close-up of fuzzy yellowness.

Diane Hettrick


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Flags at half-staff Thursday to Monday

Flag Lowerings - 5/12/22 (Lives lost to COVID-19) and 5/15/22 (Peace Officers Memorial Day)

Pursuant to the attached Presidential Proclamation, Governor Inslee hereby directs that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff immediately, in remembrance of the one million American lives lost to COVID-19.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business or sunset on Monday, May 16, 2022.

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

Please note this Sunday is also Peace Officers Memorial Day and flags will already be at half-staff:

Governor Inslee hereby directs that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff on Sunday, May 15, 2022, in recognition of the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day.

The Governor’s Office has no objection to agencies lowering the flags at the close of business on Friday, May 13, 2022. Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business or sunset on Sunday, May 15, 2022, or first thing Monday morning, May 16.

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.



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


220th SW to SR 104
Crews working on the Lynnwood Link Extension will be closing the southbound lanes of I-5 South from 220th St SW to SR 104 in Shoreline overnight starting on Friday, May 13 through Sunday, May 15.

Starting as early as 11pm on Friday, the southbound lanes of I-5 will be closed until 6am the following morning. The southbound lanes will close as early as 11pm on Saturday and will reopen at 6:30am the following morning. On Sunday, the southbound lanes will close as early as 11pm and will reopen at 4am the following morning.

For all three nights, the 46th Ave HOV direct access on-ramp to I-5 southbound will close at 9pm and the 220th Ave on-ramp to I-5 southbound will close at 10pm. The MLT Bus Flyover South and North Ramps will remain closed the entire weekend. As a result, ST Express route 512 will be re-routed to bus bay 3.

To minimize impacts to drivers, southbound I-5 traffic will need to follow designated detour routes. 

Northbound traffic lanes will remain open. Northbound lanes are scheduled to be closed the weekend of May 20-22 in the same vicinity.

The closure is necessary for the removal of falsework for span supports. The falsework, which was erected in the fall of 2020, is a temporary steel column system between and outside of the girders used to support the construction of the concrete deck on top of which the light rail trains will travel.



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I-5 NB ramp at 145th to be closed at night all next week


Beginning Monday, May 16th, Sound Transit will be closing the on-ramp to NB I-5 from NE 145th Street. This closure is a necessary step for construction of the Lynnwood Link light rail.

The closure will be from 11pm to 5am Monday to Friday



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AG Ferguson shuts down Global Grid’s illegal robocalls, deceptive marketing targeting CenturyLink customers

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that, as a result of his lawsuit against the company, Global Grid, a Corvallis, Ore.-based company, and its owner must shut down its illegal robocalling operation.


The company must also stop all deceptive marketing practices, including misrepresentations about a product it falsely promised could block robocalls. 

Global Grid must pay more than $8,000 to the Attorney General’s Office, which Ferguson will deliver to approximately 200 Washingtonians harmed by the company’s hidden start-up fee.

Global Grid and owner Harry Hart III also face $603,000 in penalties, costs, and fees for its illegal conduct, including robocalls, which are suspended so long as they pay back the upfront fees and do not violate the terms of today’s consent decree.

In October 2021, Ferguson filed a lawsuit against the company asserting the company made over 54,000 illegal robocalls to Washingtonians, in violation of the Washington Automatic Dialing and Announcing Device (WADAD) Statute and the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). Ironically, the calls attempted to sell a purported robocall-blocking service.

The company also robocalled consumers on the Do Not Call Registry and made deceptive claims in its advertising. The company also told people that “subscriptions start at just pennies per month,” yet failed to mention that they would be charged up-front fees to activate the service — anywhere from $8 to $100.


Washingtonians impacted by Global Grid’s illegal hidden fees will receive restitution payments equal to the amount they paid. These payments will average approximately $35 per customer. The consent decree, currently pending approval from King County Superior Court, requires Global Grid to make all restitution payments to the Attorney General’s Office within the next 12 months due to the company’s current lack of funds and assets, which the Attorney General’s Office independently verified. 

The Attorney General’s Office will send checks to consumers once Global Grid has completed its payment. Consumers do not have to do anything to receive restitution.

This was a typical robocall:

“Please do not hang up. The voicemail system has an urgent announcement for you regarding your security and the Federal Trade Commission’s National Do Not Call Registry. There’s a new telephone feature that you can add to your current CenturyLink phone line that will screen and block robocalls and unwanted telemarketers.”

Ferguson asserts Global Grid Telecom’s voicemail messages sounded like official messages from CenturyLink, and consumers complained that the messages deceptively sounded as if the offer came from CenturyLink. Nearly all of the company’s messages referred to a “voicemail system announcement.”

Many of the messages also referred to the advertised service as an “upgrade” or new feature to CenturyLink accounts. Further, some of the messages referenced the Do Not Call Registry, which could have deceived people into believing the message was associated with the federal government.

The company also claimed its products would stop all robocalls, and would stop 90 to 100% of telemarketers and unwanted calls. 

In fact, “MAX|Command” did not prevent robocalls. It only would manage and add phone numbers to a list of blocked numbers on a telephone line, without actually blocking new incoming unwanted calls.

The robocall message did not provide an option for people to remove themselves from Global Grid Telecom’s call list. In some instances, consumers who informed the company they no longer wanted to receive messages from Global Grid Telecom continued to receive robocalls.





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Photo: Poems - Rain plummeted from clouds

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Rain plummeted from clouds
plummeting our lawn,
embolding the rhododendrons to bloom,
liberating the Clematis to sprout,
invigorating and exciting the whole garden.

by Suzanne Delaney in Poetry Soup

Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Meanwhile in Shoreline

It rained in April,
it rained in May.
Perhaps we will get lucky,
and by August it will stop.

by Wayne Pridemore

Photo by Wayne Pridemore


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Notes from Shoreline council meeting May 9, 2022

Pam Cross, reporter
Shoreline City Council Meeting
May 9, 2022

Notes by Pam Cross

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

All Councilmembers were present.

Proclamations
I, Keith Scully, Mayor of the City of Shoreline, on behalf of the Shoreline City Council, do hereby proclaim May 21, 2022, as ARMED SERVICES APPRECIATION DAY in the City of Shoreline.

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

Report of the City Manager, Debbie Tarry
Presented by Ms. Tarry

Spartan Recreation Center Display

Thanks to community volunteer Linda Tsai, for creating a wonderful resource wall of opportunities, and Gidget Terpstra for sharing her collection of Japanese Dolls.

Contact Suni Tolton for additional information: stolton@shorelinewa.gov

PRCS/Tree Board has extended deadline for applications:


Take the Survey and have your say:


In spite of the picture, you may want to dress for rain:


Public Reminders UPDATE

The City Council Regular Meeting scheduled for Monday, May 16, 2022 has been cancelled.

The next meeting of the City Council will be held on Monday, May 23, 2022, with a Special Meeting at 5:30pm and a Regular Meeting at 7:00pm, both held remotely on Zoom.

Council Reports


CM Pobee attended the Seashore Transportation Forum. It was a great meeting, especially at 7:30am. (Laughter) We looked at electric buses and climate goals. Metro is now looking at using a phased approach to move to all electric buses, and to be able to convey operations and acquire the workforce and build the necessary infrastructure to support 100% zero emissions by the fleet. Then we looked at SAFE (safety, security and fare enforcement) which is how they are trying to address safety and security.

CM Mork attended the Regional Water Quality Meeting. The County Executive has presented to the County Council a 5.75% proposed rate increase for sewage treatment. This would be billed to all municipalities that use West Point or Brightwater like we do. Appears it will be approved. The reasons include aging equipment, growth capacity, storm water and wastewater in Seattle, nutrient removal investment, system reliability and climate change. There are a long series of rate increases planned in order to accomplish this.

CM Mork also attended Climate Change K4C. A lot of discussion about Vision Zero and making people feel safe to walk and bike. Money is available from both the federal and state grants.

Public Comment

Each speaker allowed 3 minutes. There was one written comment at the time this report was prepared.

Item 8(a). TIP
Kathleen Russell, Shoreline, sidewalk on 20th NW will result in tree loss

400 unit Apartment building on Linden Ave N
Courtney Ewing, Shoreline provided moderashoreline.com for details
Derek Blackwell, Shoreline spoke about traffic problems

Approval of the Consent Calendar
The Consent Calendar was approved unanimously.

Action Item 8(a) Action on Resolution No. 489 - Adopting a Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for 2023 Through 2028

Presentation by Nytasha Walters, Transportation Division Manager

In accordance with state law, the City is required to prepare a six-year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). The City’s TIP is used to secure federal funding for transportation projects as part of the Statewide TIP.

The draft 2023-2028 TIP was presented to the City Council on April 11, 2022. The staff presentation was immediately followed by a Public Hearing on the plan, as required by state law (RCW 35.77.010).


Following the Public Hearing, Council had questions and concerns regarding the off-corridor bike network, sidewalks near schools, and funding for “small win” projects.

Staff is adding clarifying language to the Sidewalk Prioritization Plan to make sure that it is completely clear that Program No. 2 (New Sidewalk Plan) is for the whole Sidewalk Prioritization Plan, not just the top Prioritized Projects (12 sales and use funded projects that the voters approved).

DISCUSSION

Move and second to adopt Resolution 489


Thanks for listening to the community and Council, and addressing their concerns.

The clarifications make a lot of sense. I do think sidewalk prioritization matrix should be continuously updated due to changing traffic volumes and increased development in the station areas. I don’t think it should be updated only every 5 or so years.

During public comment, Ms. Russell questioned why and where do we have different sidewalk widths. This isn’t necessarily a part of the Motion, but some large sidewalks are in more local streets - not along principal arterials.
 
  • Reply: We take into account the adjacent land use as well as the activities that are going on in the area. Higher zoning requires wider sidewalks. Also if we are trying to combine pedestrian and bicycle activity on the same sidewalk (such as close to a light rail station), or there is a higher volume of activity. We are also looking at the continuity of the network.
  • Reply Randy Witt, Public Works Director: this is a good question but not quite on topic so we’re not fully prepared to answer. We can come back later if that’s acceptable.

I was looking for a general answer. How can the public and the Council look at these maps and these projects and have a sense of whether sidewalks will be 5’ or 8’ or wider?
  • Reply Debbie Tarry: I’m not sure that you can tell from the map. I do know that we provided a conceptual design framework for the 12 sidewalks that were approved by the voters. So there was some information about what could be considered in the future. But until we move into a higher level of design for each project we won’t know.

So the public needs to ask?
  • Reply Debbie Tarry: Yes, and we’ve been doing a lot of public outreach at the start of design.

VOTE
Motion passes unanimously 7-0.

Study Item 9(a) Discussion and Update of the 145th Street Corridor and I-5 Interchange Projects
  • Presentation by Randy Witt, Public Works Director
Other contributors to the presentation:
  • Cory Nau, City of Shoreline Engineer II Capital Projects, 145th St Corridor
  • John McKenzie, Jacobs Engineering, Project Manager 145th St Corridor
  • Rob McGaughey, Lochner Engineering, Project Manager I-5 Interchange Project Manager
Tonight we are going to update the City Council on the projects’ progress.

Cory Nau, 145th St Corridor (Corridor)

Phase 1 will be constructed concurrently with the interchange project.
We are just finishing up the Design stage. The major roadway work for the Corridor Phase 1 and the Interchange constructs in 2023 and 2024. The off-corridor bike network constructs towards the end of 2024, then Phase 2 in 2026 and 2027. Phase 3 likely constructs beyond 2029. This timeline is subject to change based on funding.

We have been able to secure funding to fully design and construct the Interchange Improvements project, and Phase 1 of the corridor. We have also secured funding for completion of the designs of Phases 2 and 3, and the off corridor bike network. Currently we are pursuing right-of-way funding for Phase 2 and we’re on the contingency list for construction funding for the off-corridor bike network.

John McKenzie, Project Manager, 145th St Corridor (Corridor)

145th is a key regional corridor. It provides connections to Aurora, I-5, and Lake City Way/Bothell Way. It also connects Shoreline and Seattle neighborhoods, businesses, parks and services. The future light rail station at NE 148th St and I-5 will be opening soon and this corridor will be of even more regional significance.

The purpose of the improvements to the Corridor is to address existing problems of traffic congestion, transit that does not accommodate people with disabilities, minimal amenities, narrow and partially blocked sidewalks that are difficult to negotiate for walkers and not accessible for people using wheelchairs. There is no place for bikes. It also suffers from a high number of collisions.

Project Goals
  1. Ensure that all modes are accommodated so that people can walk, bike, access transit, and drive reliably and comfortably through the Corridor.
  2. Address traffic congestion and delay
  3. Develop improvements that support the local economy, protect the environment, and support a vibrant community.
This slide highlights the complex multi-jurisdictional nature of the Corridor.


Rob McGaughey, Project Manager, I-5 Interchange (Interchange)

The Interchange project is tied to the revenue date for the Lynnwood Link extension which is July 2024. So that’s the opening date that we’re projecting for the Interchange. The Lynnwood Link BRT (Bus, Rapid Transit) project should start in 2025.


Some of the things that will be included in the Interchange are wider sidewalks (13’ on the north side and 8’ on the south side of 145th shown in pink). There will be six flashing rapid beacons at each crosswalk. There are also pedestrian refuge areas, and a two-way bike path above I-5 (green line).

We have been working with Sound Transit to make the Interchange project compatible with the Lynnwood Link. This has involved some redesign work to coordinate with contracts ST has ready to go.

Interchange utility coordination is required to work with Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, underground aerial communications lines, relocating Lumen duct bank, as well as Puget Sound Energy.

To minimize the impacts during construction, we will keep one lane open in each direction (reduced capacity) and the intersection open during construction. There will still be substantial impact and some overnight closures. Uniformed police officers and contractor flaggers will be there during peak traffic times.

(Plays short video of planned project.) This will be available for viewing at the Virtual Open House


DISCUSSION

As you stated, it has been a little while since we’ve talked about this. This is helpful and is appreciated especially since many people have concerns about transitioning to a roundabout.
  • Reply Randy Witt: we have planned outreach about how to navigate a roundabout.
How long is the total impact going to be?
  • Reply Rob McGaughey: We are projecting 16 months for construction of the Interchange. Should be open about April 2024.
16 months will be challenging for drivers. Thanks for the letting us know how it will be addressed.

Study Item 9(b) Discussion of City Manager Recruitment Firm

Presentation by Debbie Tarry

As you know, I have announced my intent to retire effective November 2, 2022. In order to allow for a smooth transition and Council selection of a new City Manager, I want to bring to you tonight some options for your consideration.

The City has historically used both Prothman and Raftelis for this position. I was able to get a proposal from Raftelis. Their project timeline allows us the time needed. It also includes a number of opportunities for the Council to meet with Raftelis and their representative Catherine Parrish. It provides time to get input from the public if Council desires, input from department directors, and recruitment on a nationwide basis, review of applicants, screening, and interview of finalists. The cost would be approximately $32,000 plus direct expenses.

Additional detail has been presented to Councilmembers.

Would Council like to move ahead with Raftelis? Or like a proposal from Prothman? Or do a Request for Proposal process open to all firms?

DISCUSSION

I’m supportive of moving ahead with Raftelis since we’ve worked with them before. There is value to working with someone who already knows Shoreline and what we consider important values.

Why aren’t there more in-person meetings set up in the calendar?
  • Reply: If Council desires more in-person, we can make that request. The interim steps of screening through review, Council’s desire to get more information and/or who they want to bring in to interview are anticipated to happen virtually. It depends on Council’s preference.
I’m OK with virtual, but I think we need more meetings with the applicants.
  • Reply: Sure. We can do that
I am impressed by Raftelis. And I also agree the interviews with the finalists should be in-person.

I agree that we need in-person interviews for the finalists. It is more costly but important to meet in person for such an important decision. I also agree that we need more interactions prior to determining the finalists that we interview. We have had as many as 30 applicants in the past. They were then whittled down to 15 by the recruitment firm. Two of us have been through this process before and it is really important since this is the only hiring we do for the City. New members need to be very comfortable with the process, even if it means more meetings and costs a little bit more since it’s going to be a national search.

I agree with staff recommendation.

My only concern is with the timeline. What if the finalists we meet in-person turn out to not be good fits? I would like to start earlier than June - as soon as possible.
  • Reply: I agree the earlier the better.
I agree, but remember once the call is out in publications etc., there’s a minimum timeframe that we have to put it out because if it’s too short it won’t be helpful in a national search.

Council recesses into an Executive Session. No final action is expected.


Meeting adjourned


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Collision on Aurora blocked right northbound lane

NB Aurora at N 140th. Photo courtesy SDOT

If you had trouble getting home from work on Aurora Thursday evening, this was probably the reason.

Collision on Aurora Ave N at N 140th St blocking the right NB lane. Use caution.



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Weather: Wait 15 minutes

Thursday, May 12, 2022

 
Photo by Melissa DeGrazia

So if your house is under the leading edge of this cloud, you will have the northwest experience of sun in the front yard, rain in the back.

This photo was taken at Ronald Bog park in central Shoreline.



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