Coming up in Spring: 2024 Home Improvement Workshops in Shoreline

Sunday, January 21, 2024


Shoreline staff are getting ready for the 2024 Home Improvement Workshops and Vendor Fair

They will again have three workshops in the Spring of 2024 (March, April, and May). They have expanded the number of vendors and building industry representatives for the free vendor fair in the lobby.

All workshops hosted at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N
  • Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
  • Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
  • Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
New for 2024, a free presentation on Middle Housing, which will provide future options on residential sites, and a free presentation on Decks 101, which will cover residential decks.

There is a webpage for the events where you can register to talk to a city staffer about your proposed home improvement project. You can also use the QR code in the flyer. The group workshops and vendor tables do not require registration.

Correction: Original article featured 2023 flyer

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Promotions at Shoreline Fire

Promotions celebrated at Shoreline Fire

Shoreline Fire recently celebrated almost a dozen promotions.

Six people were promoted into positions vacated when half a dozen firefighters were sent to paramedic training.

Others had been in acting positions after predecessors retired.

Here are the positions and officers
  • Battalion Chiefs - Jeremiah Ingersoll & Michael Majeed
  • Medical Services Officer - Scott Kim
  • Lieutenants - Michael Mentzos & Joshua Waite
  • Community Services Officer - Wendy Booth
  • Driver Engineers - Jayden Petro, Robert Carrasquillo and Alan Christou
  • Training Captain - Jeremy Jamerson
Shoreline Fire serves Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore


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Canopy Cat Rescue retrieves Shoreline cat from big tree in freezing rain and snow

Shouyou was wet and cold
Photo courtesy Canopy Cat Rescue

Shaun and Tom, the arborists of Canopy Cat rescue, travel all over western Washington rescuing cats from the tops of trees. They have no charge for the rescues and fund their work from donations and merchandise sales.

They photograph their rescues to post on their Facebook page #canopycatrescue

Shoreline cats have not been in trouble for a couple of years but Shouyou got stuck during our coldest and snowiest weather.

Shouyou was rescued this week from a big tree in Shoreline. 
The initial call was for an unknown cat, way up in a tree during our freezing rain and snow. 
The rescue itself wasn’t easy given the weather and Shouyou being way out on a limb. So happy that he had a microchip with up to date info, once on the ground we learned his info and brought him home.


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Dip with a cause raises money to fight polio

The water was cold but the sun was shining and skies were blue
Photo courtesy LFP Rotary Club

The Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park picked just the right day for their annual immersion in the icy waters of Lake Washington. They had clear skies and sunshine and temperatures many degrees higher than last week with our arctic freeze.

They had requested cash donations to support the international Rotary project to eradicate polio in the world - and jars of peanut butter to donate to the North Helpline food bank.

They got both.

We are pleased to say that with $418 cash, $100 check and $70 charges, we took in a total of $588 for Polio Plus - and many, many jars of peanut butter to go to North Helpline.
LFP Police Chief Mike Harden (center); Mayor Tom French (right)
Photo courtesy LFP Rotary Club
A Shoutout to Robin Roat and her rotary crew, Eldon’s Acorn Catering, Kyle Victor’s Nekter ginger shots, Albertson’s (JP’s wife - Laurel Maher made it happen),  Starbucks and our own Lake Forest Park Police !!  
Rotary members and LFP police officer under blue skies
Photo courtesy LFP Rotary 
What a gorgeous day to dip for a great cause… Saving children from polio!!!


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FBI warns about financially motivated sextortion targeting minors and young adults

Saturday, January 20, 2024

The FBI this week issued a new warning about an evolving online threat targeting minors and young adults: financially motivated sextortion.

In these schemes, predators typically pretend to be alluring young girls to befriend teen boys — often on social media and gaming platforms. 

The predators then trick these teens into exchanging sexually explicit material or believing the predators have already obtained it.

Once the scammers have a victim's pictures or video, they demand money to keep the explicit material from being shared with the victim’s family and friends. Even when victims comply, scammers often demand more money and escalate the threats.

The FBI saw a 20% increase in reports of financially motivated sextortion incidents targeting minors during a six-month period that ended in March 2023, compared to the previous year. 

The scam is the latest iteration of sextortion, which has historically been driven by sexual gratification and control, but is now mostly motivated by greed. Minors and young adults caught in this trap often feel isolated, embarrassed, and cornered with seemingly no way out. In some cases, victims have turned to self-harm and suicide.

The FBI is urging parents, educators, caregivers, teens, and young adults to fully understand the dangers of financially motivated sextortion and to know there are options for those who need help.

"The consequences of sextortion are being felt across the country," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "We and our partners will relentlessly pursue criminals who perpetuate this deplorable activity."

Anyone being exploited in a sextortion scheme should do the following:
  • Understand you are not at fault and you are not alone
  • Ask for help from a trusted adult or law enforcement before sending money or more images. Cooperating with the predator rarely stops the blackmail and harassment—but law enforcement can
  • Report the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature
  • Block the predator from contacting you
  • Report the scheme immediately to the FBI or local law enforcement
  • Save all interactions; those can help law enforcement identify and stop the predator

If sexually explicit images have been shared, visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Take it Down tool or Is Your Content Out There? for potential removal


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Finally, a break in the weather

Photo by Gordon Snyder at Fircrest Friday

Finally a change in our cold frigid weather today. The cold front breaking up.

Nice to see sunshine beaming thru.

The new warmer front brought 46 degree afternoon at Fircrest instead of below 20s.

--Gordon Snyder


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Winner of two Cy Young awards, Blake Snell to be honored at Shorewood basketball game January 25, 2024

Shorewood HIgh School Athletic Department is excited to recognize Shorewood Alum Blake Snell, Thursday, January 25, 2024 at the Shorewood HS Main Gym, during halftime of the Varsity Boys Basketball game versus Monroe. 

Tip off for the varsity game is at 7:15pm.

Snell earned his second Cy Young Award this past year and he will be honored for his accomplishments at Shorewood.

Shorewood High School is located at 17300 Fremont Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133


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Volunteer "chefs" needed at St. Dunstan's to help feed the hungry

Kitchen volunteers at work at St. Dunstan's
Photo courtesy St. Dunstan's

For over ten years St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Shoreline has held a weekly Community Dinner every Tuesday, serving a buffet in the parish hall and delivering hot meals to four homeless encampments in Shoreline and Seattle. 

A dedicated group of volunteers, both parishioners and generous friends and neighbors, puts this on as a way to show God’s love to our community and especially to those in need. Altogether we feed 250-300 people every Tuesday.

A buffet is served every Tuesday in the parish hall
Photo courtesy St. Dunstan's

Our beloved head cook, Dan, needs to take some time off for health reasons. One or two volunteers are needed, perhaps a retired couple with extra time, to fill in overseeing our Tuesday Community Dinners. Experience in a commercial kitchen is not required; we will gladly train you.

Food is delivered to four homeless encampments
Photo courtesy St. Dunstan's

Duties include planning the weekly menu; gleaning food donations from local agencies; meal preparation and cooking on Mondays at the church with a team of volunteers; and supervising cooking, distribution of hot food to homeless camps, and serving of a buffet dinner at the church on Tuesdays. 

This is a substantial time commitment, but Dan will be available some of the time to provide guidance.

Can you and a partner or friend step forward to help? Or do you know someone who fits the bill? Interested people can contact St. Dunstan’s at 206-363-4319 or office@sdchp.org or email Deacon Alan Christensen

St. Dunstan's is located at 722 N 145th St, Shoreline WA 98133


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On this day in 2001, the Duwamish Tribe received federal recognition, which was taken away from them two days later

Duwamish Westcoast Canoe with traditional longhouse in background, Cedar River, 1893 Courtesy University of Oregon Special Collections (PH01_BX13_1418). Reprinted from HistoryLink.org

HistoryLink.org

On January 19, 2001, the Duwamish Tribe wins federal recognition. 

However, fewer than 48 hours later, the tribe learns that President George W. Bush has suspended a batch of President Clinton's 11th-hour orders, including federal recognition of the Duwamish. 

The Duwamish were the indigenous inhabitants of the Seattle area. They have been seeking recognition since 1979, when U.S. District Judge George Boldt (1903-1984) found that the tribe had not existed continuously as an organized tribe (within the meaning of federal law) from 1855 to the present, and was therefore ineligible for treaty fishing rights.

Read the entire article at HistoryLink.org File 2951



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Gloria's Birds: Whoops, Chelsea failed to stick the landing!

Photo copyright Gloria Z. Nagler

She should've heeded her mom and practiced more often. (Chelsea the Chestnut-backed Chickadee righted herself and took off again with the largest nut she could find:)

--Gloria Z. Nagler


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Trivia Night at the Senior Activity Center Friday January 26, 2024


Join us at the Senior Activity Center for TRIVIA NIGHT
written and hosted by real Jeopardy! Champion Leah and Sally 
of Head in the Clouds Trivia

Trivia nights are a blend of question-and-answer rounds, interactive puzzles, and audio/visual fun

There will be prizes

Friday, January 26, 2024
Doors open at 6:30pm
Games from 7pm to 9pm

21 and over. Snacks and drinks for sale

Tickets are $10 each individual or you can register a team/table of 6 for $60


Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center
Shoreline WA 98155
206-365-1536


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Bipartisan bill to mandate Holocaust, genocide education receives public hearing

Sen. Jesse Salomon 
OLYMPIA – On Wednesday, January 17, 2024 the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee heard a bill to mandate public schools offer Holocaust and genocide education.

Senate Bill 5851 was introduced by Sens. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline) and John Braun (R-Centralia), who both testified at the hearing.

“For me and many in the Jewish community, this is not just an academic matter. This is an intimate and deeply personal matter that has affected our families. My grandparents barely survived the Holocaust,” Salomon said. “We know that ignorance of history leads to repetition of history.”

Current law on Holocaust education directs educators to teach students that, in addition to six million Jews, millions of others were killed in the Nazi death camps, including political opponents, LGBTQ citizens, and Romani people.

The bill also strongly recommends schools offer at least one Holocaust and genocide standalone elective and designates April as International Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month.

The Washington Education Association, the largest representative of public-school employees in Washington state, testified in support of the bill.

“[Teaching students about the Holocaust is] a way of providing insight into how inhumanity of this magnitude develops so that there can never again be a doubt about what can happen when people fail to condemn hatred or bigotry,” said WEA representative Simone Boe. 
“We encourage educator training about other examples of genocide and crimes against humanity, so they can readily incorporate the teaching when the topics align.”

During the hearing, many citizens shared their personal family histories and spoke about the importance of teaching about the many genocides that have happened throughout the world, such as the Bosnian and Darfur genocides.

“The Nazis began their murderous reign by targeting political opponents. In our current time, when political discourse is as dehumanizing and vitriolic as ever, this bipartisan bill is an effort to come together to restore democratic norms and protect our democracy,” Salomon said. 
“It’s clear that people feel we have a lot to gain from teaching our children about the Holocaust, its causes, and its lessons. Not just to defend against increasing antisemitism, but to come together as a society and resist the hatred of any group that leads, inevitably, to a tragic conclusion.”

You can watch the testimony on the bill here and track its progress here.

Sen. Jesse Salomon, D-Shoreline, represents the 32nd Legislative District, which includes Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Seattle, Shoreline, Woodway, and unincorporated Snohomish County.


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Jobs: WSDOT Design Project Team Lead (TE3)

WSDOT
Design Project Team Lead (TE3)
Shoreline, WA – Northwest Region
$76,179 – $102,475 Annually

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is currently seeking a qualified individual for the Design Project Team Lead (Transportation Engineer 3) position. As a Design Project Team Lead, you will play a pivotal role in delivering assigned projects within scope, schedule, and budget, contributing significantly to WSDOT's mission of providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation options. 

This position holds a high impact on fostering a respectful and healthy work environment, with a specific focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a leader, you will develop direct reports to become future leaders of the Department, ensuring continuous growth and excellence in project delivery. Join us in shaping livable communities and enhancing economic vitality through your expertise and leadership in transportation engineering.

Job description and application


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File your taxes for free with United Way of King County

United Way tax volunteers
File your taxes for free with United Way of King County’s Free Tax Preparation Campaign

From January to July, United Way of King County is offering free tax services to people who make $80,000 or less to take advantage of earned income tax credits.

In person appointments are available in 17 sites across the region. 

Locally, Shoreline Hopelink and Lake City.

View all site locations here

We know a lot of people in our community would benefit from having their taxes done for free while also receiving tax credits to help lift them out of poverty.

More information here.


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Kenmore affordable housing proposal divides city

The proposed Plymouth Affordable Housing development would be built on this lot owned by the city of Kenmore. The Kenmore branch of King County Library is visible in the background.
Photo by Oliver Moffat

By Oliver Moffat

Next to the Kenmore library and across NE Bothell Way from the asphalt plant sits a vacant lot owned by the city of Kenmore that has become the focal point of controversy in the town adjacent to Lake Forest Park at the northern shores of Lake Washington. 

A proposal to build an apartment building for disabled seniors facing homelessness has drawn fierce opposition from some vocal Kenmore residents and prompted the city to enact strict rules forbidding disruptive behavior at City Council meetings.

A screenshot from the Kenmore city website shows the proposed Plymouth Affordable Housing development to be located at NE Bothell Way and 67th Ave NE.

The proposed Plymouth affordable housing development would provide permanent homes with support services to extremely low-income individuals who earn less than 30% of the Area Median Income ($28,800/year) and are facing homelessness. 

The property is located in downtown Kenmore at the corner of NE Bothell Way and 67th Ave NE and is near public transit. The development is fully funded and if approved, Kenmore will be making progress towards the city’s top stated priority: affordable housing.

Normally, the only debate on a City Council about a feel-good project like this one would be who gets to hold the giant scissors at the ribbon cutting ceremony. 

But in Kenmore, the council is debating whether to stop the project after residents filled the City Council chambers to overflowing and gave hours and hours of emotionally charged public comments - both for and against the project.

At a nine hour meeting on Monday, December 11 that lasted until 3am, Kenmore’s Mayor Nigel Herbig struggled at times to maintain order and decorum as the raucous crowd expressed raw emotions and frustrations in public comments. 

The council voted against the proposal at the December 11 meeting. But a month later the city council reversed course again at a January 9 meeting, directing staff to come back with a revised plan that addresses community concerns. On January 18, the Council again signaled yet another course correction.

At a five hour meeting on Thursday, January 18, the Council again listened to hours of public comments from residents who filled the Council chamber. This time, public comments were limited to only two minutes and Mayor Herbig wielded a gavel to contain order. In a procedural vote, four of the seven Councilmembers voiced opposition to the Plymouth project. The Council will vote on whether to deny the proposal at the January 22 regular City Council meeting.

In public comments from residents, some opponents worried about the cost city taxpayers will pay for the project. As reported by The Urbanist in December the project’s estimated $37.5M cost is funded via a mix of city, state, federal and nonprofit sources. According to reporting by the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, the city’s $3.2M share of the total cost will come from American Rescue Plan Act funds.

City staff warned the Council that voting against the project would amount to declining tens of millions of dollars in grants and could make it difficult to fund future affordable housing projects. 
The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) requires cities to “plan for and accommodate” affordable housing and King County Ordinance 19660 sets affordable housing targets for cities; meaning rejecting the project may make it more expensive to achieve its affordable housing goals in the long run.

A screenshot from the Kenmore Neighbors Facebook group depicts a sketched
outline of the location and possible size of the proposed Plymouth development.
Social media is the only source of local news in Kenmore.

Some opponents raised alarm that the project would bring open drug use and crime to Kenmore’s downtown. While other residents objected to the size of the six-story building that will stand over Kenmore’s core business district and raised concerns that a large apartment for low-income people would harm downtown businesses. 

To address these concerns, the proposal will require all residents to be 55+ and disabled; the building’s ground floor retail must match the city’s goals for the downtown district; a community engagement forum including residents, businesses and police will be founded; and Plymouth must commit to a “good neighbor” agreement to address public safety and other concerns.

In response to emailed questions, Mayor Herbig and Councilmember Srebnik said the Council cannot comment because of the “quasi-judicial” nature of the situation.

Earlier this month, the new City Council passed revised rules of behavior for public comment. 
The new rules of decorum restrict comments to agenda topics, forbid interruptions such as shouting, booing, and sign waving, and give the council the authority to expel people engaging in disorderly conduct from the council chambers. 
If a meeting continues to be disrupted, the Council can order the meeting room cleared except for members of the press.

An email to the editor of the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter asking if their publication would be covering local politics was not answered. As reported in The Seattle Times, the owner of the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter is attempting to avoid bankruptcy and recently announced it has been sold - leaving Kenmore without an independent local news source.

A billboard at Kenmore’s southern border on Bothell Way proclaims “Kenmore Welcomes You”
Photo courtesy city of Kenmore

Local news and politics are vigorously debated on the Kenmore Neighbors Facebook group where comments mirror the divisive and emotionally charged public comments directed at the City Council. 

A post on the Nextdoor app about the development was taken down after comments devolved into mudslinging, disinformation and hate speech. A Nextdoor moderator who asked to remain anonymous because they have faced hostility and threats said that although discussions of local political topics are allowed on the app, disinformation and hate speech have risen on the platform.

Founded in 1980 by members of downtown Seattle’s Plymouth Congregational Church, Plymouth Housing owns 19 buildings and is one of the largest permanent supportive housing providers in the region with over 1,200 residents. 

Plymouth provides supportive services to its residents and practices a “housing first” approach which emphasizes getting people into homes before anything else - without asking people to "prove" they are ready for housing.

In emailed comments a spokesperson from Plymouth Housing said, 
“On the heels of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we believe this important project is a chance to move closer to Dr. King’s vision of equity and justice - including for vulnerable people who want to be your neighbors in Kenmore… 
"We truly hope that […] a small fraction of Kenmore residents or a few Councilmembers will not stand in the way of 100 new homes for vulnerable people who need them.”

This would not be the first institution in Kenmore offering housing support to people in need. According to reporting by the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter Hopelink’s Kenmore Place shelter has been operating as a homeless family shelter in Kenmore for more than 30 years. Kenmore Place (owned by the King County Housing Authority, and operated by Hopelink) provides shelter for families in crisis.

Mary's Place Northshore is another homeless shelter that has been operating in Kenmore since 2017. In emailed comments, a spokesperson from Mary’s Place said 

“We are fortunate and so grateful to have a wonderful relationship with the community – lots of donations and volunteer support! … We find that the Northshore community cares deeply for their neighbors and want to help. It’s our hope that the same will be true of the Plymouth development.”


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Curb alert

Friday, January 19, 2024

 

Photo by Cynthia Sheridan

Curb alert! - Baby not included


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Money for college from federal and state aid

Simpler, more generous 2024-25 financial aid applications now available—but process will be slower

In Washington, there are two ways to apply for financial aid. 
  1. U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens apply for both federal and state aid with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). 
  2. People who can't file the FAFSA—due to immigration status, defaulted federal loans, or other issues with federal aid—can apply for state aid with the WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid).
This year, there are big changes to the FAFSA. The changes will increase eligibility, make more money available, and simplify the form. 

The WASFA is also improving, with fewer questions and a simpler form. 

Because of these improvements, financial aid applications opened later than usual. Applications usually open October 1, and will again in future years.

The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), which administers the FAFSA, considers the month of January a “soft launch” of the new form, with the potential for ongoing technical updates and system downtime.

“USDOE has said that colleges will not receive the first round of applications until the end of the month,” says Becky Thompson, director of student financial assistance at the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). 
“Because of that, we’re telling folks to try to be patient. There’s no deadline for federal or state financial aid, so although it is typically good to apply as soon as you are ready, families don’t need to rush to apply during these first few weeks.”

It's also very likely that colleges will need more time to process the new forms and get financial aid award letters out the door—which may leave students with less time to assess their costs and make a final decision about their next steps. 

“Some colleges do have earlier priority deadlines for financial aid or enrollment commitments, but we’re hopeful that schools will be a little flexible since the timeline is compressed this year,” Thompson says.

Washingtonians have an extra incentive to consider college or training

For 2024-25, a family of four making up to $120,500 can qualify for financial aid in Washington. The Washington College Grant (WA Grant) is one of the most generous and flexible programs in the country. WA Grant supports low- and middle-income people of all ages pursuing certificates and degrees, as well as apprentices participating in approved registered apprenticeship programs.

WA Grant is available to eligible Washington residents, including undocumented students. Grant amounts vary based on income, family size and the school or program attended. And again, there’s no deadline to apply for WA Grant—it is available year-round and is guaranteed to anyone who meets the requirements.

Students who apply for financial aid are far more likely to attend college, and a FAFSA or WASFA is required to receive any state or federal financial aid, including WA Grant. 

But far too few students apply for financial aid in Washington. In recent years, only about half of all high school seniors have filed a FAFSA. Many financial aid experts hope the new simplified form will encourage more people to apply.

But there may be other ways to improve the process. Governor Inslee’s budget for the upcoming biennium proposes to let people qualify for WA Grant by demonstrating financial need through eligibility for food benefits like SNAP -- without completing a financial aid application. 

“Eliminating the burden of applying for financial aid could really reduce barriers to education for people who might otherwise consider it out of reach,” says Thompson.

Families can get help completing applications at WSAC’s virtual financial aid information and filing events. WSAC also offers Aim Higher Washington trainings and strategy sessions for school staff. These sessions cover content-based areas such as financial aid basics, financial aid application navigation and FAFSA simplification.

“We know the changes and delays this year can be frustrating,” Thompson says. “But there is so much to be gained from applying for financial aid. You’ll never know how much money you can get for college or training unless you apply.”

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Letter to the Editor: King Conservation District election

To the Editor:

Surprise! The King Conservation District election opens January 23. Farmers, foresters, land owners, and our cities use KCD services to improve the soil, water, and local air quality. My background as a farm owner/operator at Sammamish Farms, in green building, fisheries, and policy organizing is good experience for leading the KCD.

As a farmer, the KCD has been a resource and support tool for me. Farm planners assist with soil and water concerns. The bare root plants I purchased now provide shade in my garden. But, the district has fallen short developing a unified mission. The KCD could lead on the fight against climate change, but they've spent millions on programs with no net gains evident, propping up pet projects that overlap with existing services. Seattle violates the clean water act almost every time it rains. Combined sewage overflows are bad for swimmers and fish. Farmers have been cut out of programs designed to support farmers. The failure was so bad, they entirely cut the Regional Food Systems Grant in 2023 as only 5% of funds were going to the farmers it was designed to help. Finally, we urgently need action on forest management. I-90 King County has been identified as a potential location for the next Lahaina fire. KCD can get working for us again, it’s about time.

As a born and bred Seattleite I've seen the region grow. Now living in Woodinville, I'm stewarding a piece of land sustainably and regeneratively for a living. I'm running for KCD to help steer the district out of the eddy they've slipped into, and build a unified effort addressing our biggest community concerns. I hope to earn your vote online on January 23. You can find out more about my campaign at www.Goheen2kcd.com

Erik Goheen
Candidate


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Birds need drinking water

 
Photo by Christine Southwick
At 16 degrees outside, this is what Christine Southwick's birdbath looked like.

Photo by Christine Southwick

Very concerned about the birds who relied on water in her yard, Christine bought a heating system and set it up.

Photo by Christine Southwick

This thirsty Black-capped chickadee was very happy to get a drink.


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Northgate acupuncturist fined by state for allowing spouse to practice without a license

In December 2023 the Acupuncturist or Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Practitioner Program and Sujin Rhi (AC60920205) entered an agreed order on her acupuncturist or acupuncture and eastern medicine practitioner license.

Rhi must pay a $2,500 fine and complete four hours of law and ethics continuing education. Between September 2022 and June 2023, Rhi’s spouse, who does not hold a Washington state acupuncturist license, treated patients under Rhi’s supervision.

Su & Jin Acupuncture and Natural Healthcare 11066 5th Ave NE Suite 106, Seattle, WA 98125, located inside the Northgate Dental Building.


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The fate of Washington’s primary program to combat climate change will be in the hands of voters to uphold or reject this November

Brian Heywood (left), founder of Let’s Go Washington, stands in front of boxes of petitions for an initiative to repeal Washington’s cap-and invest program. Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh, (red sweater) who filed the initiative, addressed supporters before the signatures were turned in Nov. 21, 2023. Members of Washington Conservation Action (background) held signs in opposition. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)

Initiative 2117, certified for the ballot on Tuesday, would erase the two-year-old Climate Commitment Act. The law imposes annual limits on greenhouse gas emissions for major emitters, such as oil refiners and utilities, and requires them to buy allowances at state auctions for each metric ton of their pollution.

The state raised $1.8 billion from allowance auctions last year. Revenue is designated for programs to cut pollution and help the state respond to climate change. Thus far, funding has gone into the purchase of electric school buses, free public transit for youth, air quality monitoring, and electric vehicle chargers.

Critics contend the policy won’t significantly move the needle on climate change but is driving fuel, food and energy prices higher as companies pass the new expense onto consumers.

“It has already taken a bite out of family budgets and put a heavy burden on commuters just so politicians can distribute feel-good subsidies to their political friends and allies,” said hedge fund manager Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington and chief financier of the successful signature-gathering effort for the initiative.
 
Supporters turned in upwards of 400,000 signatures for Initiative 2117 in November.

Because it is an initiative to the Legislature, the measure will first go to lawmakers who can adopt it as written this session.

That won’t happen. Democrats hold majorities in the House and Senate and for them, the Climate Commitment Act is a signature policy they won’t ditch.

Neither will Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee who has pushed for carbon pricing through his three terms. He’s now urging the Legislature to link Washington’s carbon market with ones in California and Quebec. Even with the measure in play, work on “linkage” of the programs is underway this legislative session.

“This effort to repeal the Climate Commitment Act is not just a repeal of a financial instrument,” Inslee said this week. 
“It is a system to give people cleaner air and if the [emissions] cap is eliminated, the protection will be eliminated. The people who want to pass this initiative want to have the right to produce infinite carbon pollution. I fundamentally disagree with that and people need to know that it is a threat.”
--Jerry Cornwall, The Washington Standard


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Knock down your genealogy brick walls with help from the Sno-Isle Genealogy Society

Sno-Isle Genealogy Society building
Are you out of research ideas to find an elusive ancestor? 

Sno-Isle Genealogy Society is offering researchers another opportunity to get help with their "brick wall" problems on Saturday January 27, 2024, at its Research Library, 19827 Poplar Way, Heritage Park, Lynnwood.

To make a reservation call 425-775-6267 to leave a message in a clear voice. Your call will be returned later to confirm your appointment if we can understand the message. 

Margaret Summitt is an experienced researcher who can direct your research efforts in the free 40 min. session. If the 4 sessions are filled you will be placed on a waiting list for the next "brick wall" day.


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King County Library System among top three digital circulating libraries in the world

Photo courtesy KCLS
King County Library System
(KCLS) patrons checked out 8,863,118 digital titles in 2023 through OverDrive, a digital reading platform used by KCLS. 

OverDrive’s statistics for stand-alone libraries identify KCLS as the second-highest digital circulating library in the U.S. and third in the world.

In another record-setting year, readers across the globe downloaded 662 million eBooks, audiobooks and digital magazines through OverDrive, reflecting a 19% increase in digital readership over 2022.

"KCLS’ digital collection serves as an invaluable resource that prioritizes both convenience and accessibility,” stated KCLS Director of Collection Management Services Tracey Thompson. 
“Our robust usage numbers demonstrate the compelling need for these resources, underscoring their significance and impact. We hope patrons continue to enjoy the ease of electronic formats, inclusivity of accessibility features and diverse titles in our vibrant digital collection.”

A KCLS library card or eCard allows access to the library system’s electronic materials, which include streaming TV, music and movies, eBooks and audiobooks, online magazines, research databases, student resources, small business resources and more.

KCLS’ Top Five Digital Titles in 2023:“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros
  1. “Spare” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
  2. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
  3. “I'm Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy
  4. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End” by Jeff Kinney
To view KCLS’ electronic downloads in real time, check out OverDrive’s digital circulation dashboard.

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Shoreline School District Friday January 19, 2023

Shoreline SD: 
  • Normal start times; 
  • buses on snow routes in AM and PM (ssd412.org/snowroutes). 
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Anne Morgan Stadler 1931-2023 - A remarkable life

Anne Morgan Stadler 1931-2023

Anne Morgan Stadler died of natural causes on October 28, 2023, in Seattle's Swedish Hospital, in the company of her family. She was ninety-two years old. She was born Anne Elizabeth Morgan on March 7, 1931, in Rochester, NY, to Martha Oliver Morgan, a school teacher, and Wesley Morgan, an electrical engineer. Wes and Martha took Anne and her younger sister, Mary, on winter picnics, packing food and skates and blankets to hike in the woods and play on the ice and snow, during the long upstate-New York winters. 

The family lived a comfortable working-class life in Rochester's 19th Ward. Martha taught physical education. Anne proudly recalled her mother umpiring the first game played at The Baseball Hall of Fame's Doubleday field, in Cooperstown, NY: as Anne told it, while teaching at a nearby school Martha took her girls to play softball on the field before the Hall of Fame used it. Wes was also an athlete, recruited as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. He turned down the offer when his mother told him to attend college, which he did at Cornell.

Wes fell sick when Anne was eight and he died when she was eleven. While she vividly recalled his presence early in life, she rarely spoke about his illness and death. Even her children didn't know until long into adulthood. 

Late in life, Anne wrote a brief recollection for her granddaughter to publish in a book of memories: "In 1938, during the second part of the Depression, dad had a psychological breakdown. He and his team had just invented a new set of signals for the Railway Signal Company, and he had presented their proposal to the big shots in Chicago. He'd been told they’d done a beautiful job. However, because the second phase of the Depression had happened, a few weeks after he came home the whole team was fired; the company decided it couldn’t invest in this at that time, and they needed to 'downsize.' It completely devastated him. He ended up in the Monroe County mental institution because my family didn't have the money for private care. The whole rest of his life was so tragic and sad. My father who had loved life so much, and had done everything he could for us and his work, was in an institution that didn’t have the resources to help people get better. I feel he probably died of a broken heart, isolated from us (he couldn’t see us), and from everything and everyone he cared about."

Facing loss, Anne found hope and growth, first of all from Martha, then widowed and raising two kids on a teacher's salary. Her job at a private school, The Harley School, led to a scholarship for Anne and an important teacher, Clif Whiting. Whiting told Anne to "stop being so nice!" Already skilled and confident as an athlete, Anne was able to grow into her social ease and boldness as teachers and friends showed their pleasure in her lively intellect. She read Ghandi, Rumi, and Rabindranath Tagore.

Far from the wealthy environs of Harley, Anne was exploring her own neighborhood and Rochester's polyglot working-class communities, which, in the manner of that time, thrived cheek-by-jowl, adjacent but split along racial and ethnic lines that could sometimes be crossed. The Morgans were Welsh and Episcopalean. 

Anne also attended the Catholic church because it was on their street, and her best friend was Catholic. Later she discovered the music of Black churches and the dancing at racially mixed "black and tan" clubs. Greeks ran the candy store, Italians, Irish, and Russians owned other shops where Anne took the family's ration stamps—her childhood world in Rochester was the same cosmopolitan world that she would grow up to do her work in.

Summers shaped who she would become. Clif Whiting and a friend opened a camp in Maine and staffed it with teenagers, including Anne, who was told to 'run the waterfront.' At Camp Joncaire, Clif Whiting's faith in Anne led to her take on all of the organizational and social complexities of what she'd later call 'a thriving community,' without a safety net. She learned by doing, and by listening to others affected by her choices. She loved canoeing. The pleasure of a canoe—its course set by responding to the flows around it—was a metaphor for her future journeys into collective work.

As a senior geology student at the University of Rochester, Anne was invited to tea by a young teacher, a man she and her friends called "Dr. Dimples." David Stadler had just finished his PhD in genetics at Princeton and taught for one year before he met and eloped with Anne. The newlyweds moved to Pasadena, California, where Dave had a post-doc at Cal Tech.

Anne recalled being "star struck" by their new friends in Pasadena, a worldly, brilliant group of young scientists, orbiting around the emigre physicist Max Delbruck and his wife Manny, who were as passionate about politics and social justice as they were certain that science had a key role to play in handling the moral dilemmas of a now-apocalyptic time—the nuclear age. 

Linus Pauling, Richard Feynman, the Delbrucks, and others held what Anne recalled as weekend-long gatherings, loud with arguments, music, and games. This was the milieu in which she became an activist, first protesting the threat of nuclear war that these scientists felt partly responsible for, and later in the civil liberties fight reacting to Senator Joseph McCarthy's witchhunt for Communists and their "fellow travelers." Anne met Quakers and other pacifists attending meetings at the ACLU and a Friends congregation.

In 1955, Anne and Dave and their two young kids moved to Seattle, where, as Dave explained it, he was offered a job at the University of Washington because the botany faculty needed a good left-handed hitter for their softball team. Anne explored the city by taking their children on city buses to the ends of the lines and picnicking. By 1960, Anne had four kids and a busy life of volunteer activism.

Through her ACLU and Quaker contacts she met a half-dozen other women, mostly mothers her age, who together created "The Peace Store" for the Seattle World's Fair in 1962. Anne's central, lifelong friendship with Lucy Dougall began here. From The Peace Store, two peace organizations were founded: Platform For Peace and Turn Toward Peace (which later became the World Without War Council), run by young parents raising their kids in the heady atmosphere of public protest. 

Dave was an equal partner, but Anne was the public face of the family's peace work. In addition to their local activism, Anne and Dave gathered and delivered nuclear disarmament petitions to Washington DC and Moscow's Red Square. In 1960, Anne was an Adlai Stevenson delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, where John F. Kennedy jr. won the nomination. 

In 1962 she traveled to Port Huron, Michigan, for the founding of the Students for a Democratic Society. Then Seattle's B'nai B'rith named her the 1962 "Woman of the Year" (calling her "Mrs. David Stadler"). The children were raised in the drudge-work of activism and the giddy optimism of collective work. Anne helped build networks linking Seattle's diverse religious communities with student activists and those in business, media, and government sympathetic to the cause of world peace.

Anne loved music and singing. She loved to harmonize. The anti-war and civil rights work brought with it long weekends of music, banging away on guitars and singing all the great protest songs. Pete Seeger played a small concert at one of these gatherings, after the venue that was booked for his fund-raising show barred him. 

Each Christmas the Stadlers hosted a Christmas caroling party that wandered the wooded streets of Lake Forest Park, often culminating at the house of U.W. orchestra conductor Stanley Chapple, whose conducting delighted Anne. Friends Richard Levin and Chris and Ellie Kauffman were among the talented musicians and political fellow travelers who filled Anne's life with music. 

In her last hours before dying, Anne's children sang these same songs to her, gathered around her hospital bed.

In Anne's early forties several profound shifts came all at once: she learned Transcendental Meditation (TM, a twice-daily practice of emptying the mind); she quit smoking (overnight—after twenty years of pack-a-day smoking); she took a workshop in transpersonal psychology (and later helped develop Process Work, the post-Jungian, dream-based, body-movement therapy pioneered by Arnold Mindell); and she began to learn Aikido (for several months, as a daily practice, she threw herself across the living room repeatedly, "learning to roll"). 

In 1973 Anne was hired by Emory Bundy at KING-TV to program and run a collaboration between KING and more than forty civic groups in Seattle, called "People Power." Quite suddenly, Anne Stadler, peace activist, was also Anne Stadler, TV-show producer, a field completely new to her.

With the keen interest and support of Mrs. Bullitt, as KING's charismatic executive director was known to her employees, Anne brought her curiosity and organizational skills to a job where she had to learn everything from scratch. KING's veteran crew of editors and cameramen helped Anne learn to craft TV documentaries of astonishing relevance and reach—including the first local coverage of the AIDS crisis, in the mid-1980s, and a historic exchange with Soviet television during Perestroika, building a 'space bridge' connecting GostelaRadio in St. Petersburg (then, Leningrad) with KING-TV in Seattle. 

Via live satellite, citizens of both countries were able to speak with each other directly. Anne and news anchor Jean Enersen, who worked as a writer and co-producer as well as onscreen host, were in Leningrad for two weeks of programming. Anne called television "a learning medium for our community." Using the shows as a catalyst, People Power helped the city become more self-critical and engaged, from the four-part "Classified Critical" series Anne produced, looking at our region's role in military defense, to "Target Seattle," and "City Fair," a grassroots celebration of urban problem solving. In her seventeen-year career at KING, Anne won six Emmy Awards.

More profoundly Anne's presence—echoing Mrs. Bullitt's leadership— catalyzed a group of talented young women working beneath KING's glass ceiling to help bring the station's programming into the widely respected position of industry leadership it enjoyed in the 1980s and 1990s, under Bullitt-family ownership. Lucy Mohl, Wendy Tokuda, alongside the more veteran Enersen, and others found a home and a road to prominence in their fields by taking to heart Anne's support and her frequent reminder to aim higher. 

Lucy Mohl wrote, "Anyone who thought peace, community, and love were laid-back concepts didn't know Anne. She was someone to live up to but also to laugh alongside. She never stopped being a work godmother, whether you liked it or not. Because those blue eyes would always tell you there was a high standard of excellence to meet and more work that needed to be done."

In 1981 Anne's first grandchild was born, followed by eight more in the decades after. As active as they were in civic life Anne and Dave loved being grandparents. Whether visiting Redlands, California, where eldest son, Mike, and his wife, Linda, were raising their six kids, or arranging summer visits to Seattle and the Northwest, Anne and Dave provided their grandchildren with an open door to the world and the love and support that helped them cross into it boldly. At age thirteen, each grandchild had their own trip to a city of their choosing, just them with grandma or grandpa. Great grandchildren came, beginning in 2004 (there are now seventeen), and filled Anne's life with an even greater level of joy and fascination.

On her own, Anne also wrote and painted. She wrote all the time, often refining her notes into essays or stories, for whomever requested it. She and Lucy Dougall delighted in writing parody send-ups of their peace-work colleagues, such as a fake fundraiser for "The World Without Issues Council" that they'd mimeograph and send to their targets. 

Anne loved to play Fictionary, inventing absurdities to make herself and her family laugh. More deliberately, she wrote books, one of which she published in 2015, a spiritual conversation called Burnished By Love, and a second that she completed a month before dying, The Way Home, about her understanding of Open Space and collective work. She painted colorful watercolors of vistas and plants, usually in small notebooks, as a kind of visual and manual meditation, another path toward empty mind. She would as often set them aside as she would give them to friends or display them at home.

The inner transformations that were catalyzed when Anne began TM and body-work practices shifted her attention toward the collective energies that shaped the work she cared about. Anne saw that groups shape their own potentials by the patterns and practice of listening, not just to oneself and each other, but to sources beyond the self. Seeking a practice that might enable collective work, Anne asked how can we together grow those capacities?

Anne left KING in 1990, discouraged by the new ownership, and a year later she began work as a "consultant and coach to communities." Later she described it this way, "I open space for personal and collective vision expressed in practical community-building outcomes." The problem of naming what she did was lasting. What Anne Stadler did was show up—she listened with curiosity, considered what she heard, and offered what came to her. She was honest and frank. She believed in abundance, not scarcity. She quoted Rumi, "let the beauty you love be what you do."

Anne was honored by Third Place Commons. On the left is Ron Sher, founder and owner of Third Place Books; on the right is Norman Lieberman, long-time board member of Third Place Commons.
Photo courtesy Third Place Commons.

Anne's "clients" (another misnomer) were communities of every size and character (from schools to board rooms to neighbors in conflict), from near and far (she helped reinvent her local shopping center as a Commons while also working in India, Hawaii, and The Netherlands), with rich or poor (in India she combined work for the Tata Steel corporation with the bottom-up reinvention of a local school for lower-caste kids). 

Locally, Anne helped found Spirited Work (guided by Angelis Arrien's The Four-Fold Way) at the Whidbey Institute, mentored at Antioch College, "showed up" to help the Richard Hugo House, El Centro de la Raza, Third Place Commons, MOHAI, and many others; while globally she opened space for India's School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL), the Ala Kakui group in Hawaii, and In Claritas, in Europe, among others.

Her inner work—to live in dialogue with "spirit" (which she said first began in the woods of Maine at age 18, lying in the bottom of a canoe at night, staring up into the stars)—was vastly enriched by her lifelong friendship with Lucy Dougall, who shared Anne's interest in Celtic spiritualism and the female-centered histories of pre-Christian cultures in the North Atlantic, especially Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Iona, and the Orkney Islands. They traveled together, or with their husbands and friends; their bond deepened as each was widowed, Anne in 2007 and Lucy in 2009.

Dave Stadler's death, from lymphoma, in 2007, was a major turning point. As with every profound loss in her life, Anne experienced it as, also, a new beginning. Old friend Lucy became a more frequent travel companion and their habit of walks and conversation at home brought them to an intimacy both named, "anam cara," the Celtic term for a unique friendship in life, a lasting communion of spirits. 

With others whom she met while "opening space for personal and collective vision" Anne learned techniques of "sourcing" that deepened her ability to sense the presence of truth or spirit. As she explained, when sourcing, "there's a feeling sense in my body that I call 'resonance...' I experience a shared presence with the speaker and/or the maker (a musician, artist, writer, actor, etc.). I sense deep trust and joy rising in me, and a feeling of tears...I listen to the Universal field and get messages, images, and practices that help me unite the spiritual with the material fields of my life." 

While she continued to explore the use of Open Space, sourcing, and other techniques in her work, Anne more often simply showed up as herself—a voice of curiosity, love, and optimism who could share the insights she gleaned by listening to herself, to "the field," and to others.

Anne Stadler was an inexhaustible learner. Having ventured far and wide, in her last two decades she found that most of what mattered to her was rooted in the same working class, ethnically-specific communities she'd grown up in, now in Seattle rather than Rochester. At El Centro de la Raza, in the leadership circle of the BIPOC Sustainable Tiny Art House Community (asked what Anne's job title there was, co-founder Carol Rashawnna Williams said, "she was just a really good friend"), with civic activists in Burien, at home with Lake Forest Park's Third Place Commons, and in smaller groups such as the Women's Giving Circle and the Heart Fire Circle, Anne found deep traditions of collective work, often female-centered and linked to spirit and faith. Her last decade was buoyed by the joy of inclusion in communities that had answered long histories of injustice with solidarity, hope, and abundance. As happened everywhere that Anne showed up, those of every age and temperament, the quietest most of all, found their voices supported by this affirming old soul.

Anne Morgan Stadler will be celebrated and missed. She is survived by her four children, Mike, Sue (and Sue's wife, Quince Affolter), Aaron, and Matt, nine grandchildren, and seventeen great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration of Anne's life is planned for the afternoon of June 23, at the Lake Forest Park Civic Club. 

--This account of Anne's life was written collaboratively by her children

Correction: Anne has 17 great-grandchildren, not 20 as previously reported.
Addition: a date has been set for Anne's memorial celebration


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