12 Days of Goodness with Seahawks players at the Senior Activity Center December 6, 2024

12 Days of Goodness event with the Seahawks on Friday December 6, 2024 at the Shoreline - LFP Senior Activity Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline WA 98155 (southernmost building on the Shoreline Center campus). Free parking.

They will be serving a “game day” lunch and folks will get to meet two retired players, as well as Mike Flood - Sr. VP of Community Outreach, who is planning something special for Veterans.

Register by calling 206-365-1536.  

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ELNA meeting Tuesday November 26, 2024 on Zoom

The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association (ELNA) had to postpone its November meeting when the power went out ten minutes before the start time.

Fortunately, the guest speakers - from Shoreline Fire and Urbanist Shoreline - were available for this Tuesday, November 26, 2024.

The meeting begins at 7pm with a short business meeting, followed by speakers and neighborhood reports.

The Zoom link is sent to those on the ELNA email list. Anyone wishing to attend the meeting can contact ELNABoard@gmail.com for the link.

ELNA is located in north central Shoreline.

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LFP wants help from citizens to set spending and cutting priorities in 2025 budget - respond by November 25, 2024

Community Survey: We Need Your Input!

The City of Lake Forest Park is facing significant budget challenges, and we’re asking for residents' help in setting our priorities. Please take a few minutes to share your feedback through our
Community Survey, open now until November 25, 2024.

Please note that only one survey response per household is requested. Look out for instructions and a unique PIN, which will be mailed to you during the first week of November — be sure to check your mailbox!

As a full-service city, Lake Forest Park provides essential services including road maintenance, sewer and stormwater utilities, parks and recreation, a dedicated police force, and our own court system. 

However, the rising costs to maintain these services are outpacing the revenue we collect through fees, property taxes, and other sources. 

Here are a few examples:

• 911 dispatch services: Increased by $284,000 annually
• Jail costs: Increased by $350,000 over the past two years
• Insurance costs: Increased by $109,000
• Public defense for our court system: $30,000 higher annually
• Police pay: Below market value, risking employee retention

At the same time, annual property tax revenue growth is capped at just 1%, which means our revenue increase in 2024 was just under $34,500—far below inflation.

How to Participate

Your feedback is essential as we work together to ensure a sustainable future for Lake Forest Park. The survey is confidential and takes about 10 minutes. Please choose one option per household: 

• Online: Visit LFPcommunitysurvey.com
• By Phone: Call 206-291-0746 to complete the survey with a representative.
• By Mail: Complete the survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope provided.
• Please use the PIN code at the top of your survey letter for anonymity and security.

Thank you for helping us build a strong, sustainable community!

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Salomon and Stanford take Senate leadership while Kenmore and LFP face the “elephant in the room”

By Oliver Moffat

With a $10 billion state deficit, Senator Stanford will chair the Operating Budget subcommittee and Senator Salomon will chair the Local Government Committee while LFP and Kenmore seek local control of housing policy.

 Senator Derek Stanford, of Bothell, will be the vice chair of the Operating Budget for the Ways and Means committee (photo by Washington State Legislative Support Services)

The Senate Democratic Caucus appointed committee leadership for the 2025 legislative session elder this week.

Senator Jesse Salomon, of Shoreline, will chair the Local Government Committee and Senator Derek Stanford, of Bothell, will be the vice chair of the Operating Budget for the Ways and Means committee.

Stanford will serve as Vice Chair of the Operating Budget for the Ways and Means committee at a time when Washington State is facing cuts from an operating budget deficit between $10 and $12 billion. 

He will also be stepping into a budget leadership position after more than 64% of Washington voters opposed initiative 2019 that would have repealed the state’s capital gains tax, sending a message to the legislature in favor of progressive taxes on the wealthy. An extreme wealth tax co-sponsored by Stanford died in committee last session.

Senator Jesse Salomon, of Shoreline, will chair the Local Government Committee (photo from Washington State Democratic Caucus)

Salomon will step up to chair the Local Government Committee the year after cities across the state updated their zoning rules and Comprehensive Plans to comply with new Missing Middle Housing laws. 

Last session, Salomon sponsored bills related to land use permitting, co-living, accessory dwelling units, transit-oriented development, and other bills related to housing that could impact cities in the state.

Kenmore City Council Top row: Jon Culver, Nigel Herbig, Joe Marshall, Nathan Loutsis. Bottom Row: Debra Srebnik, Melanie O'Cain, Valerie Sasson (photo from the Kenmore website)

The topic of “local control” over housing policy was discussed at the November 18, Kenmore city council meeting. 

The city’s legislative Policy Statements says the city “is committed to doing what it can to increase the supply of housing, especially affordable units.” 

But earlier this year the council voted five-to-two to kill the fully-funded Plymouth Supportive Housing development on a vacant lot downtown. 

Kenmore’s action prompted Representative Strom Peterson of Edmonds (who has been chair of the House Housing Committee since 2021) and Representative Jessica Bateman of Olympia to introduce a bill designed to hold cities accountable for building homeless housing. 

That bill died in the Senate last session. But now Jessica Bateman has won election to the senate and was named Chair of the Senate Housing Committee earlier this week. 

At the Kenmore council meeting this week, councilmember Debra Srebnik (who voted against the Plymouth Housing project) proposed three possible changes to add to the city’s existing legislative Policy Statements: 1) hold local government accountable for results not process, 2) establish realistic housing result benchmarks and 3) develop a funding pool for deeply affordable and supported housing.

Councilmember Joe Marshall also voted against the Plymouth Housing project and said, “I staunchly remain in favor of local control.” 

While councilmember Jon Culver who, along with Mayor Nigel Herbig, voted to approve the Plymouth Housing project said, “the elephant in the room is we got a bill named after us that passed the house.”

LFP City Council. Top row: Semra Riddle, Deputy Mayor Lorri Bodi, Jon Lebo, Ellyn Saunders Bottom row: Tracy Furutani, Paula Goode, Larry Goldman (photo from LFP website)

Earlier this month the Lake Forest Park city council voted (again) to temporarily keep homeless housing out of the Town Center. 

A 2021 state law sponsored by Representatives Strom Peterson of Edmonds, Lillian Ortiz-Self of Mukilteo, Cindy Ryu of Shoreline, Lauren Davis of Shoreline, and Shelley Kloba of Kirkland forbid cities from prohibiting homeless housing in neighborhoods that allow hotels. 

But in February of 2021, Lake Forest Park passed rules allowing boutique hotels in Town Center. 

Instead of allowing homeless housing in Town Center, the Lake Forest Park city council banned hotels in Town Center in September of 2021. At the time, the city said they were waiting for information from the state. 

To comply with the law they enacted the six-month temporary regulations. Six months later, the city banned hotels and homeless housing at Town Center again; and again in March and September of 2022; and March and September of 2023. And - amidst rising homelessness in the region - the city banned them again in November of this year after the interim regulations expired in March of 2024. 

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Richmond Beach Blood Drive FULL but new drive at Town & Country December 9, 2024

By Tom Petersen 

All appointment spots were filled for the Saturday, November 23, 2024 visit of the Bloodworks Northwest mobile unit in Richmond Beach. 

A huge thank you to the community! This is really great, and a wonderful, thoughtful way to start the Thanksgiving season. 

Those who tried to make an appointment or who were thinking about walking up are encouraged to book instead for the bloodmobile's next trip to Shoreline, at Town & Country Market (formerly Central Market) on Monday, December 9. 

Here is the sign up link 

Here are the eligibility requirements. 

There have been many changes in the past year that have expanded the pool of potential donors, so check to see if you and your friends and relatives might be good candidates: Eligibility requirements 

You can find other mobile drives in the area, or the locations of donor centers HERE or by calling
1-800-398-7888.

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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Thanksgiving Dinner

Previous cartoons by Whitney Potter here

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Shorewood cheer headed for state competition

Shorewood Cheer

Shorewood Cheer earned a third-place finish at the "Bow Up at the Tuk" competition held at Foster High School in Tukwila on Saturday, November 23, 2024. 

This marks a major milestone for the team in their third year of competition, as they also qualified for the state competition with their Game Day routine.

The team’s high-energy performance impressed the judges with its precision, enthusiasm, and strong crowd engagement. The team has worked incredibly hard, and to qualify for state in their third year at the first competition of the season is a big achievement.

With the state competition now on the horizon, Shorewood Cheer is focused on refining their routine and continuing to build on their success.

--Coach Brianne Sturm

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King County Assessor: apply for relief if property significantly damaged by windstorms

Condition of roof unknown
Photo by Pam Cross

In response to the “bomb cyclone” storm that ripped through the region this week, the King County Department of Assessments is now making available an online form so owners who experienced significant damage from the windstorm can apply for property tax relief.

State law allows taxpayers to apply for property tax relief if their property was damaged or destroyed by recent windstorms. 

Property damaged or destroyed by something beyond the property owner's control is eligible for a reduction of assessed value, resulting in lower property taxes.

Information on the criteria for a claim and how to file online If you own property in King County can be found here: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/assessor/TaxRelief/DamagedProperty.aspx or you can download a King County Destroyed Property Form (.PDF)

Damaged Property Relief Program Details

Any real or personal property that has been destroyed, in whole or in part, or is in an area declared a disaster by the governor and reduced in value by more than twenty (20) percent may apply.

The amount of tax abatement shall be determined by calculating the taxes on the amount deducted from the assessed value for the number of days that remained in the calendar year after the date of destruction or reduction in the value of the property. If taxes abated have already been paid, the amount paid shall be refunded.

An application must be filed within three years of the date of destruction or reduction in value.

If the taxpayer disagrees with the determination made by the County Assessor regarding the destroyed property exemption, he/she may appeal the amount of reduction to the County Board of Equalization within sixty (60) days of notification from the Assessor

In cases where a fire, natural disaster or vandalism has occurred, supporting documentation is required which identifies the property and the date of occurrence, such as fire department reports and insurance adjuster estimates.

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Power restored in Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park

--and if the headline isn't true, contact your utility.

Only one outage for City Light

City Light is doing well - but their area is urban with only the occasional tree to deal with.

Right now, 11pm on Sunday November 24, 2024, there is one customer in Green Lake whose power is out due to an equipment failure. Otherwise the north end has power, including all of Lake Forest Park.

Snohomish county PUD is still struggling to restore power in the county. Their message:

PUD Service Area Update:

"11/24/24 4:20 PM - Crews will continue to work through the night restoring power with a focus on the greater Snohomish area. 

"We currently have 45 line and tree crews in the field. Work will be at a slow and steady pace as we make complex repairs that often only impact a handful of customers. 

"If we are not currently working on your outage, we appreciate your patience. We will continue to work until all power is restored. A general update for this region will be provided tomorrow around 10am."

Having said that, there are only a few outages in Woodway and Edmonds. Most of the PUD outages are toward the mountains.

Puget Sound Energy is dealing with fallen trees tangled in wires all over their service area. They have started posting photos where their crews look more like lumberjacks than linemen. They also have to turn off restored areas in order to work on damaged areas.

PSE is now warning customers it might be Tuesday before power is restored.

--Diane Hettrick

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Underground Holiday Market brings color and charm for Christmas shoppers

A little one joins the lawn display outside the garage

The one day only Underground Holiday Market filled the Shoreline City Hall Parking Garage with vendors selling bright and cheerful holiday wares on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

Sponsored by ShoreLake Arts in cooperation with the City of Shoreline, this is an annual event for the holiday season.

All photos by Claudia Meadows.

Put it on your calendar for next year!

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Scene on the Sound: The Polar Star leaves for Antarctica

Photo by Lee Wolfe

The Polar Star left Puget Sound on Friday. Its ultimate destination is Antarctica, but its first stop will be Honolulu.

--Lee Wolfe

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Holiday Harmony - Free Event at Shoreline Community College December 2, 2024

Join Shoreline Community College for a evening filled with music and holiday spirit!

Shoreline CC Music Department is bringing an amazing concert performance featuring Chamber Chorale and Concert Band.

Highlights include holiday music from Estonia and Canadian First Nations right alongside familiar favorites ending with a joint performance of a "Christmas Festival".

Admission is FREE! Meet us at the PUB main dining room, this Monday, December 2, 2024 at 7:30pm. Free parking.

Don't miss out on this perfect event to start getting into the holiday spirit.

16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133 PUB 

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Free disposal of wood debris at Shoreline transfer station for King county residents

Tree debris can be taken to the Shoreline transfer station for free
Photo by Nic Cross

A proclamation from King County Executive Dow Constantine has cleared the way for free disposal of branches, tree limbs and other wood debris and yard waste left from this week’s windstorm at select King County Recycling and Transfer stations.

King County residents can drop off tree limbs, and other woody debris without paying the standard yard waste fee at the Shoreline facility, 2300 N 165th, Shoreline WA 98133.

The free service is exclusively for wood debris from the recent storms. 

Stumps, logs and limbs no longer than six feet in length are allowed – no grass clippings, sod or soil will be accepted. 

The standard garbage rate of $33 for up to 320 pounds, or $198 per ton will be waived.

King County’s service area does not include the city of Seattle. Contact your local government for service information if you live in Snohomish County, or the City of Seattle.

Customers must live or do business within King County's 37-city and unincorporated service area to use these solid waste facilities, including the free storm yard waste disposal. More information is available on the Solid waste facilities site, or by calling 206-477-4466.

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Third Place Books has power and will have regular hours on Sunday

Third Place Books has power!
Photo courtesy TPB

Lake Forest Park Third Place Books store power is finally back on.

Back to regular hours Sunday at 9am-9pm.

 

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Power back on at LFP Town Center - Holiday Farmers' Market and Craft Fair are on for Sunday

The power is back on at the Lake Forest Park Town Center and the Holiday Farmers Market & Craft Fair is HAPPENING!

Sunday, 10am to 2pm - see you there!  

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Message to LFP Mayor Tom French from Seattle City Light regarding power outage

Dawn Lindell, General Manager and CEO
Seattle City Light

November 23, 2024

Below is a message from Dawn Lindell, General Manager and CEO of Seattle City Light, that was sent to Mayor French:

On behalf of Seattle City Light, I would like to express my sincere apologies for the extended time it has taken to restore power to Lake Forest Park following the severe impacts of the recent bomb cyclone. I fully understand the significant challenges this situation has placed on your community, especially as residents and businesses navigate this period of disruption and uncertainty.

 
The bomb cyclone brought extreme weather conditions that caused extensive damage to our infrastructure. Despite these extenuating circumstances, we remain steadfast in our commitment to restoring power as quickly and safely as possible. Our crews, along with additional personnel from neighboring utilities, are working around the clock to repair damages and restore service.

 
Please rest assured that we are prioritizing the safety of both our workers and your community as we carry out this vital work. Our immediate focus during and following the storm was on getting critical infrastructure, like hospitals and schools, back up and running to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities. Many of the remaining outages are more challenging to address due to the nature of the damage including downed trees and blocked roads. This is the case with Lake Forest Park; damage included a stretch of five poles that needed replacement, which takes more time.

Crews made significant progress overnight on replacement of poles required to reenergize the area. They are working to set the final pole. We estimate this work and repairs to other overhead equipment nearby will be complete and power can be restored to the majority of customers by early afternoon. Some additional work may be needed to restore all.

 
We are maintaining open lines of communication with your office to keep you updated on progress and expected restoration timelines.

 
I deeply regret the hardships this outage has caused and want to assure you that we are learning from this experience to improve our readiness and response for future events. If there is anything further we can do to assist Lake Forest Park during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to me or my team.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this difficult situation together.
Warm regards,

 
Dawn

DAWN LINDELL
GENERAL MANAGER AND CEO
SEATTLE CITY LIGHT

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City Light map is inaccurate but power may be restored in LFP by Saturday afternoon

PSE crews are dealing with lines tangled with fallen trees
Photo courtesy PSE

By Diane Hettrick

So - the outage maps have not been up to the task of accurately recording so many outages. 

Readers in Lake Forest Park have verified that there are twice as many outages as appear on the map. Apparently PSE has the same problem.

If you do not have power but the map shows that you do - call it in to the utility.

The good news is that Seattle City Light tweeted at 9:30am Saturday that they expected to have most of the large outages cleared by this afternoon.

All the more important for everyone to call in outages that don't show on the map.

The Seattle City Light map is here 

For readers in other areas:

Snohomish County PUD: We anticipate a majority of existing outages will be restored by end of day Sunday, but some outages in severely damaged areas will linger into early next week.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Not even estimating when damage will be repaired and power restored. PSE crews are looking more like lumberjacks than line workers. Take a look at their photo album.

The good news is that crews are starting to come in from other parts of the state to help both City Light and PSE.

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Shoreline Police partner with Guanajuatenses en WA in Community Assembly / Focus Group

Shoreline police Community Services Officer Dahlia Corona and Administrative Capt. Neil Woodruff at the Guanajuatenses en WA community assembly.
Photo courtesy Shoreline Police 

Believing that partnerships aimed at strengthening our community are essential, Shoreline Police are proud to collaborate with Guanajuatenses en WA in the 3rd Community Assembly/Focus Group, held November 18, 2024 at Shoreline City Hall.

Guanajuatenses en WA is a non-profit organization based out of North King County. 

Their mission is to support the community and promote socio economic well-being through programs for underserved communities through educational workshops, mental health education, conferences, art and creativity.

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Residential fire on Monday quickly extinguished

Roof venting
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

Monday, November 18, 2024

Residential Structure Fire at the 16200 block of 9th Ave NE in Ridgecrest. Fire extinguished. Cause is under investigation.

On Monday, Shoreline Fire Department crews responded to a residential structural fire. Our team employed vertical ventilation as part of the firefighting strategy, cutting holes in the roof above the fire.

This critical technique, coordinated between crews inside the structure and those on the roof, reduces the risk of fire spread and dissipates smoke.

Response to residential fire on 9th NE
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

By improving visibility, it allows interior crews to locate and extinguish the fire more efficiently.

We were able to extinguish the fire, and are relieved to report that there were no injuries, and the resident was able to stay with nearby family.

Thank you to our dedicated firefighters for their swift and professional response.

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Saturday Stretches at the Library - free one hour introduction to yoga class at local libraries

Calm your mind, stretch and strengthen your body and improve your balance.

Regardless of your age or physical activity level, you will:

• Explore the reasons so many people of all ages practice Yoga.
• Discover if Yoga is right for you

The session is free but you need to register.

• Richmond Beach Library. 

The subsequent sessions are not yet on the library schedule

• Lake Forest Park
• Shoreline
• Bothell

 

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Dembowski applauds key investments with approval of 2025 King County budget

King County Councilmember
Rod Dembowski

King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski on Tuesday announced key local and regional investments with the passage of the 2025 King County budget.

“The balanced budget adopted by the Council today for 2025 makes important investments in public safety, housing, transit, conservation projects, public health, and projects and programs that help build community resiliency,” Dembowski said. 

“I appreciated the opportunity to serve on the council’s Budget Leadership Team and chair the Public Safety Panel, and have worked with my colleagues to make investments to enhance the quality of life for all King County residents.”

Dembowski played a crucial role on the Budget Leadership Team, working with his colleagues to develop a budget that serves the needs of the first County Council district and the county as a whole. 

The following projects in District 1 covering the communities of North Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, and parts of Kirkland, were included in the budget:

Special funding for King County District 1

• Akin North Seattle Family Resource Center, formerly Children's Home Society/Child Haven, works with families to provide them with resources.
• Lake City Collective Culture Center is a minority-led organization that focuses on the needs of the BIPOC community.
• City of Kenmore Senior Center
• City of Kirkland Historic Cabin - historic preservation
• City of Lake Forest Park Public Waterfront Park
• Refugee Artisan Initiative helps immigrant women set up small businesses creating and selling handcrafted items from recycled materials.
• CharMD is a behavioral health clinic on Westminster Way. 
• Center for Human Services - a multifaceted social service agency in Shoreline
• Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) runs two separate Senior Community Meal programs
• Whale Scout - protecting Pacific Northwest Whales through land-based conservation experiences

Dembowski also secured funding for a regional initiative aimed at empowering resilient communities most impacted by past policies and practices that prevented them from owning land, receiving loans and building generational wealth.

“I am particularly proud of the work my office has undertaken in partnership with community leaders to secure launch funding for King County’s Equitable Development Initiative,” Dembowski said.

“This significant braided stream of funding will support community-led housing and economic development projects in communities at heightened risk of displacement.

"The EDI investment package is an important commitment to our most vulnerable residents that King County stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them in the work necessary to build and strengthen our county’s diverse and vibrant communities who are facing the greatest risk of displacement.”

As Chair of the Public Safety Budget Panel, Dembowski hosted a Public Safety Budget town hall in October to hear feedback from constituents. He included funding in the budget for a regional public safety summit to increase opportunities for collaboration and system improvements to enhance public safety in King County.

Overall, the budget maintained fundamental services across the county, as well as provided necessary investments in public safety, housing, transit and more, while looking ahead and planning for shortfalls in the next biennium.

“We worked hard to balance the budget while keeping our services at the high end of our policy target”, Dembowski said.

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Theatre Review: Miracle on 34th Street makes you want to believe

Miracle on 34th Street: The Play

Edmonds Driftwood Players

Directed by Paul Fleming

November 22 - December 15, 2024

Tickets

Review by Kindle Carpp

Miracle on 34th Street is a tale that makes you want to believe in the power of a heartwarming holiday instead of frantic commercialism.

Kris Kringle gets a job working as the Santa for Macy’s and helps the city of New York unleash goodwill and generosity of spirit.

Annie St. John, Bill Kusler, Rita Baxter
Photo by Dale Sutton

This production has multiple scene changes, going from living room to department store to courtroom. The coordination of cast and crew to seamlessly change sets was impressive.

The cast featured an age range from grade school to seasoned actor and all performed well.

Of the principal cast there were two who stood out.

Dawn Cornel as Sawyer was so very malicious -- an excellent villain!

David Hayes as Kris Kringle was the Santa of my childhood dreams, with just the right amount of jolly and twinkle to spark nostalgia.

Sage Jennings, Josias Allestad, Nina McKinstry, Jacom Schallenkamp
Photo by Dale Sutton

The elves shone in the second half. Their outrage and dramatic camp was so funny.

Joey Tirado’s classic radio announcer voice was spot on. I am looking forward to seeing him in future productions.

Miracle on 34th Street was a nostalgic play that makes me want to believe in Santa again.

Performances at Wade James Theatre 950 Main Street, Edmonds WA 98020

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