About Cascade K-8 Community School

Monday, May 27, 2024

By Rebecca (Becca) Drury

Cascade K-8 Community School is a small, award-winning STEAM school in the northeast corner of Shoreline. We have been part of the district for 50 years - as Cascade K-8 since 2011, and Room Nine Community School since 1974. Although the school began as a K-6, we have had a middle school program called the Journey Program for over 20 years.

Like our K-5 students, our middle school students go to overnight camps twice a year. In the fall we go with the whole school. In the spring our 6th and 7th graders go to a camp where they do scientific fieldwork and learn about Washington State history. 

In 8th grade, our students go to Young Artists Explorations at Centrum in Port Townsend where they do an intensive set of classes with professional artists learning to dance, perform drama, create visual art, do creative writing, and play music while enjoying the scenery and history of Fort Worden state park.

Every middle school student at our school takes three years of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). In 7th grade, that course is the same Robotics 1 course they teach at Shorecrest, and students can get ½ credit of high school robotics when they complete that course. Hands-on learning is a huge part of our mission.

We have a large and successful Technology Student Association club. In the Journey program where we have one 6th, one 7th, and one 8th grade class, we had one of the largest middle school chapters in the state in 2023, with more than half of the students in our school participating in TSA. 

Our students compete and win awards every year at the state competition, and generally, a small group of students compete and sometimes place in the top 10, at the National Conference as well.

While we are a K-8 community and have some kids who have been with us since kindergarten, not every kid in our middle school starts here in elementary school. We love to welcome kids who start with us as 6th, 7th, or 8th graders and have had many kids and families join us after elementary school, or even partway through their middle school careers.

We currently have some space in our small but mighty middle school program and would love to have you take a tour and decide if Cascade K-8 might be the place for you.


Rebecca (Becca) Drury, a Journey teacher at Cascade K-8 was the 2015 Washington Science Teacher Association Middle School Science Teacher of the year, and in 2022 she was the Washington State Middle School TSA Advisor of the year.
 
Cascade K-8 is part of Shoreline Public Schools. Read more about our community school here.


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Magic Key:Unlocking the Joy of Ukulele will play the new stage at Main Street Commons in Edmonds

Magic Key: Unlocking the Joy of Ukulele, will be the first musical group providing family friendly musical entertainment at the new outdoor stage area in the plaza of the ALL NEW Main Street Commons in Edmonds on June 1, 2024 from 11:30am to 2:00pm. 

Magic Key is a family favorite in Shoreline having entertained at Shoreline Farmers Market a number of times, as well as the ShoreLake Underground Holiday Market and many other local community events. Most of our band members live in the Shoreline/Edmonds area and we are big supporters of community events.

Main Street Commons is a new and unique food and dining experience in Edmonds with a bakery, wine bar, ice cream shop, pizza restaurant and retail all surrounding an open plaza with a community stage for local entertainment.

Magic Key: Unlocking the Joy of Ukulele is a collaborative group of local uke-centric musicians joining together to share our love of music. We’ve been around since 2019 creating musical mayhem featuring a plethora of musical genres…pop, classics, American songbook, swing, rock, Jazz, children’s favorites and much more. 

We are very much looking forward to being the first musical guest of the beautiful Main Street Commons campus in downtown Edmonds and invite our Shoreline fans to come on down on June 1 from 11:30 to 2:00 and have some fun! 

Check out our Facebook page for more photos and videos.


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Letter to the Editor: Traffic camera article needs clarification

To the Editor:

Your May 26 piece, "Lake Forest Park City Council Increases Traffic Camera Fines", is interesting and well written. But there are two statements that I believe should be clarified.

My first comment is on this statement: "...although less than 4% of Lake Forest Park residents are Black, 12% of people who received a traffic ticket in the city were Black." Comparing those 2 statistics isn't meaningful and worse, is actually misleading. The percentage of Black residents who received tickets should be compared with the percentage of residents who are Black.

Second, this statement is incorrect: "The camera infraction recidivism rate is less than 90% which, according to the city, means that the cameras are effective in getting drivers to slow down." The recidivism rate (i.e., rate of getting more than 1 ticket) is less than 10%.

Gay Armsden
Lake Forest Park

Editor: Re the second statement, the article has been corrected.


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Shorewood Boys and Girls tennis win 7 medals at state tournament

L-R: Coach JT Mashman, Coach Arnie Moreno, Xander Gordon, JD Drake, Riley Boyd, Eli Sheffield, Emily Lin, Rylie Gettmann and Peter Kosten, with their WIAA State Award medals.
Photo by Kristi Lin

Shorewood sent 6 girls and 5 boys to the WIAA State Tennis Tournament, in Vancouver, Washington, at the Vancouver Tennis Center.

Matches started at 8am on Friday May 24, 2024 and concluded with the medal round of matches on Saturday morning and afternoon.

Shorewood qualified 11 players for the state tournament.
front row Alex Mignogna, Rylie Gettmann, Emilia Garibay Romero, Emma Okamura, Emily Lin, Mari Brittle. back row Eli Sheffield, JD Drake, Peter Kosten, Riley Boyd, Xander Gordon
Photo by Kristi Lin

The Girls and Boys teams were WesCo South league champions and District 1 team champions for this 2023-24 season.

The boys finished their season with a 13-1 record and the girls went undefeated at 14-0.
 
The Shorewood girls team sent junior Rylie Gettmann, 4th at State in 2023, senior Emily Lin, 7th at State in 2023, both in singles: Gettmann as the District 1 singles champion and Lin as the 2nd place singles place in District 1. 

In doubles, juniors Mari Brittle and Alex Mignogna, 3rd in District 1, seniors Emilia Garibay Romero and Emma Okamura 4th in District 1.

JD Drake -7th in singles
Photo by Kristi Lin

The boys team sent junior JD Drake as the number 2 District 1 singles, junior Peter Kosten and sophomore Xander Gordon, District 1 doubles champions, sophomores Eli Sheffield and Riley Boyd, 3rd in District 1. 

Xander Gordon and Peter Kosten -8th in doubles
Photo by Kristi Lin

The boys' season and qualifying tournaments were held last Fall in October 2023. They had been training and preparing through Winter and early Spring. Coach Arnie Moreno felt that they had worked hard to prepare and were ready to compete at state. All five boys return to next Fall's team.

Coach Moreno told each player on both teams to be proud of their accomplishment and not only meet the challenge but enjoy every moment, win or lose. 
He reminded them that there are many players on their team and other teams that would trade places with them for the opportunity to be competing at high level at state. In the tournament, they are the top 16 players and doubles teams in the state 3A division.

The first day's match started with Garibay and Okamura losing a hard fought, loser out match, to a very tough Lakeside team. They played their best and enjoyed playing against a very good level of competition. 

Eli Sheffield and Riley Boyd - 7th in doubles
Photo by Kristi Lin

In singles, Gettmann, Lin and Drake all won their first-round matches. The doubles boys' teams, Kosten and Gordon, Sheffield and Boyd won their first round with great teamwork and shot making. Brittle and Mignogna lost a very close three set match to a Tumwater team, but were in double elimination, and still in the tournament. They lost their next match that had many close points and games, and were out of the tournament.

The boys' team surprised many opponents and won hard fought matches to win a second match on the Saturday round of medals matches. After losing hard fought quarterfinal matches, they all placed. Drake 7th, Kosten and Gordon 8th and Sheffield and Boyd 7th.

Rylie Gettman -8 and Emily Lin -7

Gettman and Lin also lost very close quarterfinal matches but won their next matches to advance to earn medals, Lin 7th and Gettmann 8th. This was the second straight year that each earned an award to be in the top eight players in the state 3A.

After many close matches and amazing tennis play, the Shorewood boys won the 4th in State Team trophy and the girls placed 5th.

Coach Moreno and Shorewood JV Coach JT Mashman, who assisted with the coaching, were very proud of the teams' high level of play, their outstanding sportsmanship and support for each other. 

Players, family members, community
Photo by Kristi Lin

The Shorewood parents and community were very well represented with many family members and friends who were there to add support.

Class 3A Boys
At Vancouver Tennis Center


Singles: Consolation: 
  • Cade Strickland (Snohomish) def. John Guske (Mount Spokane) 6-1, 6-1; 
  • JD Drake (Shorewood) def. Nalu Akiona (Edmonds-Woodway) 6-2, 6-1. 
  • Fourth/seventh: Jack Scott (Lakeside) def. Drake 7-5, 6-0. 
  • Fifth/eighth: Daniel Kim (Bellevue) def. Strickland 6-2, 6-2 
Doubles
  • Xander Gordon-Peter Kosten (Shorewood) def. Knaggs-Wrigley (Mead) 6-2, 6-3; 
  • Eli Sheffield-Riley Boyd (Shorewood) def. Acey-Faria (Lincoln of Tacoma) 6-2, 6-3.
  • Fourth/seventh: Yang-Talwar (Lakeside) def. Sheffield-Boyd 6-0, 6-1. 
  • Fifth/eighth: Gravenkemper-Madath (Bishop Blanchet) def. Gordon-Kosten 6-2, 7-5.
 
Class 3A Girls
At Vancouver Tennis Center


Singles: Consolation: 
  • Rylie Gettmann (Shorewood) def. Courtney Tran (Southridge) 6-2, 6-1; 
  • Emily Lin (Shorewood) def. Ali Dobbs (Auburn Mountainview) 6-3, 6-1. 
  • Fourth/seventh: Lillian Stukovsky (Roosevelt) def. Lin 6-4, 6-2. 
  • Fifth/eighth: Najla El-Shimi (Lincoln of Seattle) def. Gettmann 6-1, 6-2. 
Doubles: Consolation: 
  • Hannah Wells-Mak Dauer (Snohomish) def. Hayes-Hoppe (Mead) 6-3, 6-0; 
  • DeSantis-Frost (Mountain View) def. Tessi Mumbuluma-Alissa Rautenberg (Stanwood) 6-4, 6-4.
  • Fifth/eighth: Loop-Thomas (Lakeside) def. Wells-Dauer 6-1, 6-1.


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Letter to the Editor: New neighborhood bus routes will tear up the streets

To the Editor:

Looking at the routing for Metro 333 I wonder if there is a passenger demand for this service? More importantly how many more of these neighborhood routes will be coming to residential areas as part of "service" to light rail stations? 

Among other problems these busses tear up the street due to their heavy weight. Pot holes proliferate, detours and repair delays all too common. Have you seen an overlay map of all the new bus routes through the residential neighborhoods? I saw one briefly on-line but have not found the map again: A map of all the new bus routing in North End neighborhoods where there was none before. I'd like to know what's what.

The more 175th gets fixed the more problems seem to surface. The fellow who wrote the letter suggesting closing/relocating the elementary schools may be on to something. Certainly worth discussion.

Thank you, you do a great service to the larger community.

Wm V King.
Lake Forest Park


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Shoreline Farmers Market opens June 1, 2024 at 192nd Park n Ride lot

Shoreline Farmers Market
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The Shoreline Farmers Market (SFM) has been a cornerstone of our community for twelve seasons, connecting neighbors, supporting local farmers and businesses, and providing access to fresh, nutritious food for all.

The Shoreline Farmers Market, located at the BikeLink Park & Ride (corner of 192nd & Aurora, across from Sky Nursery) begins Season 13 on Saturday, June 1, 2024 from 10am - 2pm and continues every Saturday through October 5th.

We are Shoreline's community hub for farm fresh & local foods, flowers, baked goods, local honey, live music, food trucks, kids programming, and so much more.

We look forward to welcoming back familiar friends of the market, as well as getting to know new neighbors! ALL are welcome (including our leashed & well mannered, four legged family members), this is your market

SFM has also partnered with local leaders for their second annual PRIDE celebration on June 15th.


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A WARM Legacy: The story of Mickey LeClair

So, how are those New Year’s resolutions coming along? 

Since we are nearing the midpoint of 2024, maybe the following volunteer achievements will bolster your resolve to make the world a better place or your corner of the universe. 

Any time during a year is a good time to reflect and improve.

While most of us cannot achieve the breadth of this lady’s volunteer experience, we can try to give back or pay it forward. 

Here is the story of a woman’s dedication to reunite families and fulfill any other position needed within WARM – Washington Adoption Reunion Movement.

I was fortunate to be the Confidential Intermediary (CI) in the early 1980s for Mickey’s husband, an adoptee. Through the process her talents and her desire to use them were obvious. Over the decades, WARM has been the recipient of her sharing of time, talent, and treasure. She has decided to retire……..for the most part. 

The following is an excerpt from the latest WARM newsletter and was written by Michelle Meeker.

Mickey LeClair
It’s Time to Tell the story of Mickey LeClair, the organization’s hidden Treasure who is a Thorough Trustworthy Teacher of Truthfulness while being a Tenderhearted Tenacious WARM volunteer who Thoughtfully Tackles Terrific Tantalizing Tireless hours of Time to Transcend Togetherness for Totally everyone! 

After 40 years, she has decided to put down her pen, turn off her computer, and spend more time with family. She will retire, although will continue to be on the WARM advisory board.

Let’s go back in time and acknowledge all she has contributed, and the changes that she has experienced during her tenure. Her career at WARM started in 1983 helping the organization by working in the office, doing cases, and all while raising nine children. 

She was first drawn to WARM as her husband Earl is an adoptee, so this was her deep-seated motivation. He has been her inspiration and support all these years.

Looking through the eyes of Mickey, with her 40 years of service to WARM, we would see a long list of duties. Some of these include working in the office, board member, support group facilitator, advisory board member, editor, and CI liaison. 

 However, her primary focus was always on her clients. When we asked how many searches she was involved with, she reviewed her five crates of closed files and counted over 1100 cases.

All the reunion stores are told in our quarterly Warm Journeys newsletter. Mickey is the queen of this quarterly task, which is an adventure all on its own. She has created special editions, flyers, book reviews, WARM Readers Write, News and Notes, but most of all Mickey is the editor! 

Counting over 400+ volumes, means that she has edited over 2,800 issues, plus she reads the last version out loud for that final check. In 1995 Warm Journeys had a mailing list of 350 addresses and twelve pages. It slowly reduced in size and by 2015 the newsletter was eight pages, 2018 four pages and it is now 100% electronic in 2023. 

No more trips to the print shop, or stuffing envelopes. Mickey, we thank you immensely and without your efforts the WARM organization would not have the beloved WARM Journeys newsletters.

Another duty that Mickey voluntarily does is helping other CI’s. She trained the new CI’s, created the training materials, taught the class, and reviewed many exam papers. As the CI liaison and leader, she guided and advised the most complex and complicated cases.

One evening every month she facilitated the Sumner support group at the local Library. Back in the 80’s she had nearly 25-30 attendees which included adoptees, birth mothers, adoptive parents, siblings, and other family members touched by adoption. 

Mickey always had books, flyers, spare newsletters and lots of good articles for those attendees. She also delivered a multitude of WARM brochures to the many libraries and public offices in Pierce County. Sadly, the support group meeting stopped like lots of other things during the pandemic and has not resumed.

The reunions Mickey has made happen for WARM clients is the largest and most unmeasurable contribution. The multitude of emotions that came directly from the heart of so many. In reflecting back, Mickeys says she learns something from each case whether there is a reunion or not, and even learns more about herself.

Are you up for the challenge to volunteer? Provide some organization with your legacy?

In 2026, WARM will celebrate 50 years of community service as Washington's premier search and reunion resource.

Pam Queen
WARM Confidential Intermediary/Treasurer/30-year volunteer
Shoreline Resident


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Community Event celebrates Summer Solstice with Labyrinths at Richmond Beach June 20, 2024

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Photo courtesy Gathering Ground

Join a playful outdoor event celebrating the longest day of the year with an ancient practice to reflect and center. 

Gathering Ground offers their fifth annual Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk on Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 7pm - 9pm at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, 2021 NW 190th St, Shoreline, 98177

This family-friendly event features multiple labyrinths, a station for take-home labyrinth making, and a solstice bonfire. The event is open-house style: drop in when it works for you. Free to attend. Contributions welcomed.

Labyrinths are a simple reflection form that allows the walker to journey inward to their truth, then outward into the world. They are a powerful tool to process challenges and find intention, clarity, and joy.

This event is offered by Gathering Ground. Gathering Ground provides community for people of many beliefs – and on many journeys – to forge and share meaning, through observing earth holidays, sharing workshops, and growing together in relationship with the natural world.

This event is produced in partnership with the Western Washington Labyrinth Network.

For more information visit the event website or email GatherinGround.Seattle@gmail.com


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HomeTechHacker: Transforming Your Outdoor Spaces: Smart Technology for Gardens and Outdoor Living

Using a soil sensor
By Marlon Buchanan

Outdoor living spaces can enjoy the same convenience and control that smart technology has brought indoors. 

Imagine transforming your backyard into an easily managed sanctuary with just a few smart upgrades. 

From garden maintenance to entertainment, the right tech can make outdoor living more enjoyable and less laborious. 

Let’s look at some ways you can accomplish this.

Yard and Garden Maintenance

For those of us without a green thumb, maintaining a garden or even a well-manicured lawn can seem daunting. Enter smart gardening tools like soil sensors and robotic mowers. 

Soil sensors monitor conditions such as moisture, light, and nutrient levels, sending all this information straight to your smartphone. 

This means you'll know exactly when to water or fertilize, ensuring optimal plant health. Meanwhile, robotic lawn mowers can keep your grass cut to the perfect height, operating all on their own, freeing up your time for more relaxing activities.

Smart irrigation system
Irrigation

Smart irrigation systems can revolutionize the way you water your yard. 

These systems can be programmed to water your garden at the most effective times, often early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation losses. 

They can also adjust watering schedules based on real-time weather updates and information from soil sensors, ensuring that your plants receive just the right amount of water without wastage. 

Not only does this mean healthier plants and a lower water bill, but it's also a great step towards sustainable living.

My DIY smart irrigation system took some setup time, but now I don’t even think about it. There are many easy-to-use solutions on the market today.


Outdoor Lighting

Next, consider the impact of smart outdoor lighting. Whether it's for security, safety, or setting the mood, smart lighting systems can adjust the brightness based on the time of day or motion in the area. 

Imagine lights that automatically dim for a cozy evening gathering or brighten along walkways when guests arrive. Plus, with energy-efficient LEDs, these smart systems help reduce your energy bills while increasing your home's curb appeal.

I use outdoor LED lights with DIY controllers to create seasonal displays. There are also out-of-the-box solutions that can be installed in minutes.

Outdoor Entertainment

For those who love entertaining, integrating smart entertainment technology into your outdoor spaces is a game-changer. Weather-resistant smart speakers, outdoor projectors, and screens can withstand the elements, bringing high-quality audio and video to any outdoor setting. 

Host an outdoor movie night or stream a playlist at your next barbecue—all controlled through your smartphone or voice assistant. It’s the perfect way to personalize your entertainment experience and impress your guests.

Final thoughts

With these smart technologies, your outdoor space can become more than just a place to sit outside—it can be a vibrant extension of your home. Why not try out some of these ideas?

By embracing these technologies, you can enjoy a garden that almost takes care of itself, evenings bathed in perfect lighting, and outdoor parties with soundtracks tailored in real-time. Make the most of your home tech, outdoors!

Marlon Buchanan
Marlon Buchanan
is a best-selling author, IT Director, and founder of HomeTechHacker.com, a website with free resources to help you make the most of your home technology.

You can contact Marlon through his website or X (Twitter) if you have questions or comments about this article. 

Previous articles are available here


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Lake Forest Park city council increases traffic camera fines

A new No Racing Zone sign greets drivers entering Lake Forest Park on 178th street where the speed limit drops from 30 to 25 mph - photo by Oliver Moffat

By Oliver Moffat

Lake Forest Park will increase traffic camera fines starting this summer after new state laws encourage cities to use cameras to improve safety. The city designated 178th a no-racing zone to allow the city to leave the cameras active all the time (not just during school hours) despite an equity analysis raising concerns about the traffic cameras.

At the Thursday, May 23 meeting the Lake Forest Park city council voted to raise traffic camera fines to the maximum allowed under Washington state’s recently expanded laws.

With the passage this year of House Bill 2384, cities in Washington can now increase automated traffic camera fines and Lake Forest Park is speeding ahead to raise fines from $130 to $145. Repeat offenders can have their fines doubled to as much as $290 under the new law that takes effect on June 6, 2024.

The change comes after the city recently added 178th to its list of designated no-racing zones, allowing the city to leave the traffic cameras on all-day throughout the year whereas before they could only be active during school hours when Brookside elementary was in session.

Speaking in support of the plan, Council Vice Chair Tracy Furutani, said “the fact is we are going to see increased traffic volumes as the Link Light Rail stations open. And my concern is that once September rolls around and the kids start coming back to school, especially along Brookside, that there will be significant potential interactions between traffic and the walking school children.”

A graph from Lake Forest Park, shows how fast vehicles are going east-bound on 178th 

The camera infraction recidivism rate is less than 10% which, according to the city, means that the cameras are effective in getting drivers to slow down. Data collected from the Washington State Patrol’s website shows there have been a total of 45 collisions on 178th over the last ten years with crashes on the rise from a low of two in 2020 to five in 2023.

“I know that this is going to be revenue generating for the city. But that’s not the principal reason that we are doing this. We are doing this because we are very concerned about pedestrian and multi-modal safety,” Furutani said.

The city pays an external company a flat monthly fee of $4750 to operate each of its fourteen current cameras (totaling $798,000 per year). That external company does not get a percentage of the fines or any kind of commission.

The previous state law required cities who adopted traffic cameras like Lake Forest Park to give 50% of the revenue back to the state to fund transportation safety projects. 

But to entice more cities across the state to install traffic cameras, the legislature changed that rule this year: now cities can keep all the ticket revenue for three years as long as they spend the funds on traffic safety improvements. After three years, the state will take a 25% cut to fund state-wide traffic safety projects.

According to the city’s budget, traffic fines will generate $3.84 million this biennium for the general fund. At 30% of the budget, the city’s largest line item at $11 million is the police department. The city spends $2.5 million a year on transportation - making up 7% of the city’s budget.

At a December 14, 2023 meeting the city council designated 178th a no-racing zone. Then at an April 30 special meeting, the Lake Forest Park city council voted to keep the automated cameras active year round, 24 hours a day within the 178th no-racing zone.

In 2022, state law allowed cities to use automated traffic cameras to enforce speed limits on streets designated “restricted racing zones” and a new state law took effect in 2024 which also makes “drifting" illegal.

A map from the Washington State Patrol website shows the locations of the six collisions in the past ten years attributed to street racing in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and Kenmore 

A public records request filed with WSDOT returned a total of ten crashes attributed to street racing in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore since 2010. A search on the Washington State Patrol’s website found six street racing crashes in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park in the past ten years. 

In comparison, there were 1,785 crashes in Lake Forest Park alone over the last ten years according to the Washington State Patrol’s website.

Recent changes to state law expanded where cities can deploy cameras and allows city employees to review tickets where previously a police officer needed to review each ticket.

State law requires cities to complete an equity analysis to prove traffic cameras will not disproportionately target historically over-policed people. The Lake Forest Park report raised concerns about the city’s traffic cameras. 

A graph from the city shows more than 90% of traffic camera tickets are received by people who don’t live in Lake Forest Park 

According to the police department, although less than 4% of Lake Forest Park residents are Black, 12% of people who received a traffic ticket in the city were Black. Only 8.5% of the traffic camera fines were issued to residents of Lake Forest Park - the majority of ticket recipients were from out of town.

Under the new state law, vehicle owners can dispute the ticket in court and (under the new state law) the fines must be cut in half if the owner of the vehicle is a recipient of a state public assistance program. But that requires fighting the ticket in the Lake Forest Park court.

Meanwhile in Shoreline: on June 10, the much anticipated (and overdue) Annual Traffic Report will be reviewed by the city council and traffic enforcement cameras will be discussed. While neighboring cities including Lynnwood, Lake Forest Park, and Seattle have long embraced the use of traffic cameras, the Shoreline city council has opposed their adoption in the past.

5-26-2024 corrections: 
-The camera infraction recidivism rate is less than 10%.
-traffic fines will generate $3.84 million this biennium for the general fund.
-At a December 14, 2023 meeting the city council designated 178th a no-racing zone. Then at an April 30 special meeting, the Lake Forest Park city council voted to keep the automated cameras active year round, 24 hours a day within the 178th no-racing zone.


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58 years of parallel parking

Guides to help new drivers learn how to parallel park

Story and photo by Don Warrick

These parallel parking guides have been in the Shoreline Stadium parking lot forever! They helped me learn to parallel park back in 1966!  

It surprises and is actually pleasing to me that they have stood there over the years amidst all the other changes that have occurred.

I guess there's a chance that someone replaced them at some point, but, even then, they're still there and I still occasionally see drivers practicing their parallel parking.

I wonder if any other Shoreline Area News readers recognize and remember these!


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Haller Lake multi-generational home receives free wheelchair ramp on Mother’s Day weekend

Bean can now live in the house with her disabled father

This Mother’s Day weekend, one family received an incredibly special gift - a wheelchair ramp and walkway; designed, built, and installed at no-cost by Irons Brothers Construction, Shoreline’s local design-build firm celebrating it is 25th year in business.

Since 2006 Irons Brothers Construction, a longtime member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBA), has participated in Rampathon. This year philanthropist and General Manager Joseph Irons captained his 18th ramp. 

Rampathon volunteers

Enlisting more than a dozen volunteers, including employees of Irons Brothers Construction, friends, family, and colleagues, this team worked all day until the ramp was complete for the Fairbanks family of Haller Lake.

A family affair, Joseph & Melissa Irons, local Shoreline residents themselves, engage not only their skilled employees in building the ramp, but they also encourage family members to participate. 

“It’s not just a gift we are giving, we gain so much in building for others too.” Melissa Irons recounts her experience in building ramps over the years. 
"Some of our current and past volunteers include local high school students from Shorewood and Shorecrest, and several other volunteers attend annually to help with these projects.
“Helping local neighbors regain freedom through Rampathon is truly amazing to be a part of!” Melissa shares proudly.

This was the existing entrance to the home

In April, Joseph and his team began designing, planning, and coordinating the Fairbanks family’s new barrier-free entry. 

“Building a new ramp and/or walkway during a one-day philanthropic project takes time and preparation to ensure a smooth build. When building an accessible ramp we must consider the user, the type of assistive device being used (wheelchair, powerchair, walker), the other home occupants, visitors, and caregivers, and of course safety. 

"From procuring materials, labor, and equipment, to set-up and clean-up, even with several years of experience, each project has its own unique challenges. Our team of volunteers thrive at being creative and working together to create solutions each year to help families during Rampathon,” shared Joseph.

Volunteers had to break up and remove the existing walkway

On May 11, 2024, a dozen volunteers gathered to excavate, dig, and remove the existing unsafe paver and multi-level concrete walkway. They framed, formed, and poured a new, safe, and accessible, barrier-free entry and walkway with concrete.
 
Pouring concrete for the new ramp

By eliminating the current step down to the entry door and installing a graded concrete broom-finish walkway, the Fairbanks family and their guests will be able to easily navigate in and out of their home.

This year’s ramp recipient, Mr. Fairbanks is a 90-year-old disabled Veteran who uses a walker or a wheelchair. He is suffering from Prostate cancer and has heart disease and a cognitive disorder. 

His daughter, who is also in a wheelchair, has multiple conditions limiting her abilities, including Traumatic Brain Injury. With the current entrance and multiple levels to access the home, his daughter cannot live with him. Having a wheelchair ramp will allow her to move into the home and have an accessible place to live.

Smoothing the concrete

The Fairbanks' new ramp was built by removing two portions of the uneven walkway and one stair at the entry. Without stairs to maneuver, his daughter Bean will have safe access and newfound independence. This project was constructed out of easy to maintain and eye-pleasing concrete materials.

Irons Brothers Construction maintains the highest commitment to philanthropy and giving back to our local communities where we live and work. At the end of the day, the reward is when the Fairbanks family safely use their walkway and ramp to be outdoors.

The new ramp is ready for use

Since 1993, Master Builders members have contributed more than 500+ ramps to members of our King and Snohomish County communities. Thanks to the Master Builders Association and the generous donors listed below, this ramp was built at no cost to the recipient. 

We believe our neighbors in need deserve the same freedoms we have. Wheelchair access ramps are their link to our beautiful community we all share.

With two decades of involvement with Rampathon, as well as other philanthropic events sponsored by the Master Builders Association, Irons Brothers Construction is a prime example of generous builders giving back to the neighborhoods they serve.

Special recognition to donors for the 2024 ramp include:
  • Irons Brothers Construction, Inc. for volunteer labor, tools, and materials
  • Green Latrine for their sani-can donation
  • Junkzilla for hauling away the debris
Learn more about Rampathon here

Irons Brothers Construction is celebrating 25 years of business in 2024 with their Design + Build Center. 

They specialize in universal design, aging in place remodeling, and the highest construction practices. 

Company owners, Joseph & Melissa Irons, and their team, have their Certified Aging in Place Specialist designations (CAPS) thru the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Certified Living in Place Professional certifications (CLIPP) thru the Living in Place Institute. In each remodel they incorporate these principles when possible. 

Photos courtesy of: Irons Brothers Construction


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Police and fire call off search of Echo Lake

Rescue unit searching Echo Lake
Photo by Tammy Hjort
After a small kayak was discovered floating upside down in the middle of Echo Lake on Saturday, May 18, 2024 and a caller to 911 reported seeing a man in the kayak two hours earlier, Shoreline Fire rescue swimmers and King County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit searched for five days without recovering a body.

Fire and KCSO Marine Unit do not have another lake search planned at this time. 

As for potential outcomes of this incident, the Marine Unit is following their protocols for water recovery. 

After conducting their initial searches, they would expect a drowning victim (if present) to surface within weeks in this body of water. 

Photo by Michael Wansley
However, KCSO still has no known or suspected Missing Person reports that would match this particular scenario. 
We therefore do not know for certain at this time if a drowning has occurred. 
We would encourage lakeside residents and visitors to report any unusual objects observed in the lake.   

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Memorial Day programs in Edmonds

Photo courtesy FindAGrave.com
Edmonds Cemetery

Members of the Edmonds Cemetery and Columbarium Board invite the public to attend the annual Memorial Day Observance at 11am Monday, May 27, 2024 at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery and Columbarium 820 15th St SW, Edmonds, WA 98020

This year's speaker is Greg Copeland, King 5 News anchor. 

He will be sharing the story of his grandfather, WWII Naval Officer, Rear Admiral Robert W. Copeland. Click HERE to view the story aired on King 5 News.

The Edmonds Memorial Cemetery was placed on the Washington State Register of Historic Places in 1972 and has 625 veterans interred. In honor of Memorial Day graves of all veterans will be marked with a white cross and a miniature US flag.

Edmonds Veterans Plaza
Photo courtesy City of Edmonds
Edmonds Veterans Plaza

2024 Edmonds 
Memorial Day Program 1:30pm 
Monday May 27, 2024
Edmonds Veterans Plaza
250 Fifth Ave N, Edmonds WA 98020

Remarks: Michael Reagan

Gold Star Families Bench Dedication

Adjourn to American Legion Post 66, 117 6th Ave S, Edmonds WA 98020


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Rob Oxford: "Oh Thank Heaven"

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Rob Oxford (not Hulk Hogan) and his bandmates in Whiskey River Skynyrd Tribute.

By Rob Oxford

I was in line at my local convenience store this afternoon and started to feel the presence of someone standing rather closely behind me.

Maybe just a little too close.

As uncomfortable as it was, I didn’t feel the need to acknowledge the situation. I was only there for a “Bellywash”, a soda pop as my Brother Stan would call them and there were only two customers in front of me, so I knew my time in line would be brief.

Nor was there any reason to exchange pleasantries with anyone. Yes, you grew up in Texas where everyone waves and says Hi to everyone else, but just sit this one out. Keep your head down, your mouth closed and you’ll be out of here and on your way home in no time.

This is not the time to be an extrovert. It’s Memorial Day Friday and you’ve got places to be. I wish I’d remembered my earbuds. You can always pretend not to hear while wearing your earbuds.

As the line started to move, I heard someone talking but wasn’t sure exactly where it was coming from? Turning around, the young man behind me asked if what I was holding was “the only thing you’re gonna get?” Puzzled, I answered that indeed it was.

At first I thought he may have been in a hurry and wanted to jump the line, to which I would have been amenable. But I had a single item and he was holding nothing?

He appeared to be in his mid 20’s, but sadly looked much, much older. I would soon find out why.

Still contemplating as to why he would ask if I was only purchasing the Bellywash, he then said, “my sponsor wants me to do one nice thing for one person every day, and I’d like to buy that for you…and because you look like Hulk Hogan.” (Certainly not the first time I’ve heard that one)

Chuckling and now even more unsure as to whether or not I was being “played”, I again politely said no thank you.

But then it hit me, Was I preventing someone from fulfilling a commitment to their sobriety?

He mentioned once again that I looked like Hulk Hogan to which I responded, “It’s my biceps and pectorals right?”

Both of us laughed and he asked if I was sure he couldn’t pay for my item? Had it not been an overpriced soft drink, packed with caffeine and sugar, certain to keep me up long after my bedtime and cause cavities at $2.49 a bottle, I might have said yes.

Instead, I gave my new acquaintance a fist bump and asked him how long he’d been sober?

“May 8th of this month.”

…16 days!

His smile upon reporting this amazing accomplishment to me was beyond description. Although I could see his teeth were in desperate need of care, he had no problem showing them all to me with his ear-to-ear grin. He was 16 days sober and he was very proud.

After exchanging another fist bump and hug, I explained to my new friend that by merely asking to purchase my item, by making that attempt, I felt he had fulfilled his commitment to his program. He looked at me intently and I felt that in my words, he found comfort.

I’m certainly not qualified to give substance abuse counseling and I'm not Hulk Hogan, but thankfully I'm able to have compassion and empathy for those struggling with addiction. I also know that $2.49 is way too much to pay for a soft drink.

I wish for my new friend continued and long-lasting success on his road to recovery.

If you or someone you know has an addiction problem? Please find valuable assistance in this guide to addiction services in the Shoreline area.

A Guide to the Addiction Resources Found in Shoreline, Washington (northpointrecovery.com)


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How Middle Housing HB 1110 will affect the City of Shoreline

By Pam Cross

On May 14, 2024 NUHSA hosted a very successful Affordable Housing 101 Lunch & Learn in recognition of Affordable Housing Week 2024. The event featured a presentation by the Housing Development Consortium on the regional landscape for housing, as well as updates from each of the five North King County cities.

As part of the event, NUHSA introduced its Housing and Homelessness Glossary as a resource for facilitating community conversations. The event hosted nearly 90 participants and ended with community Q/A.

The recording of this event and the glossary are now available to community members for circulation HERE.


In 2023 the Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1110, known as the Middle Housing bill.

On May 16, 2024 the Planning Commission discussed  what this bill might mean for Shoreline and its Comprehensive Plan. Because it is a new bill and will require broad changes statewide, the Commission outlined a “high-level preview of code updates to come.” This was not intended to be a comprehensive analysis.

Initial Code Updates

Our current zoning for residential properties is defined on density of housing units. The R-6 zone allows 6 units per acre, for example. The proposed rezoning will move away from density-based development to “form-based” development. Housing regulations will be based on building form, site design, housing type, lot coverage, as well as landscaping/open space and tree retention. This will require the Development code to be updated to the new language.

Graphics from Planning Commission report May 16, 2024

(Note: since the new Neighborhood Zones are conversions from density based zones, density does not disappear as a consideration. Only the name has changed. However, going forward the City will undoubtedly redefine the NR zones to bring the new housing regulations for “form-based” development.)

(Note: R-6 can be converted to either Neighborhood Residential 1 or 2, as shown above. This is important to know because allowable density in NR1 is twice the density of NR2. R-6 represents the greatest number of zoning lots in Shoreline as seen below.)

(Source: zoneomics.com)

HB 1110 Middle housing requirements


Source: Planning Commission May 16, 2024

HB 1110 Middle housing requirements for cities are based on city population and cities are assigned to a tier.

Shoreline’s population of approximately 61,120 designates it as Tier 2. However it is possible to move to a Tier 1 designation in order to avoid have to change everything as our city continues to grow. Should Shoreline adopt Tier 1 status now?

Staff recommends staying with Tier 2 for a variety of reasons including anticipated time to reach Tier 1 status (estimated 12 years), allowing more time to scale up, as necessary, public works, fire department and utilities, and infrastructure..

HB1110 - Standard or Alternative Compliance?

In addition to the new base requirement for middle housing, Alternative Compliance options are available. 

The City is taking a close look at the multiple Compliance options as it works to draft a middle housing code. The alternative options consider:
  • Risk of Displacement utilizing sociodemographic assessment (equity),
  • Redevelopment Attractors from Amenity Factors (access to parks, schools, transit, business locations)
  • Physical displacement (evictions, foreclosures, tenant relocation assistance applications),
  • Critical Areas (wetlands, areas with critical recharging effect on aquifers used for potable water)
  • Fish and wildlife habitat
  • Geological hazardous areas
As you can see, much more study is needed and future legislation is coming.

HB 1337 ADUs

Another newly passed bill HB 1337 addresses ADUs. This does not really work well with HB 1110, since ADUs are not “starter houses” purchased by first time homebuyers, but rentals existing on a homeowner’s property. Coordination of these two bills adds another dimension.

Newly built multiple homes on one lot will not result in Middle Housing (“starter homes”) if developers maintain ownership and use them as rented multifamily homes.

Implementation of these new state bills will greatly change Shoreline as the population grows over the next 20 years. And once changes to the Comprehensive Plan are adopted, it is time consuming and difficult to amend them.

It is important to read the Planning Commission report and/or listen to the Planning Commission 5/16 meeting to get a rudimentary understanding of the changes. We are going to hear a lot more about this over the next months and years.

Get a good start so you have at least a basic understanding so you can follow along with this journey into the future.

5-26-2024 Text is the same, but major revisions to arrangement of graphics. Links added.

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53rd Annual Folklife Festival Saturday - Monday at Seattle Center

Folklife 2024 Cultural Focus is Meraki.

Meraki marks the 3rd chapter of our 5-year Cultural Focus storyline. Meraki derives from the Greek language and means doing something with passion, soul, and love. In 2022, our first in-person festival out of the pandemic, Metamorphosis asked that we accept and welcome change and transformation as a natural part of our everyday folk lives. 

In 2023, Lagom compelled us to accept change as part of a journey towards finding a new balance within ourselves, our communities, and our larger ecosystem. 

From that place of balance, Meraki urges us to seek that which gives us joy, so that whatever we put our minds to can be approached and accomplished with a sense of pride, soulfulness, and discipline. 


Hours
  • Saturday 11AM - 10PM
  • Sunday 11AM - 10PM
  • Monday 11AM - 9PM

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