Walkers to the Future walk, skip, and dance around the track to raise $17,000

The Walk to the Future, a fund-raiser for Parkinson's Disease research, was held at Edmonds-Woodway High School on July 24. It was organized by Pinky's Passion, the organization created by Shoreline resident Pat Erickson. See our previous story.

By Pat Erickson

Founder, Pinky's Passion for the Cure

We had an absolutely beautiful day for our walk. Everyone seemed to have a great time as they walked, skipped and danced around the track. 

Since our theme was "Walk to the Future," we thought it seemed appropriate to have a DeLorean there in the hopes of hopping in and driving to the future. Unfortunately, this DeLorean isn't a time machine - but it is a very cool car. It was brought to us courtesy of DeLorean Motor Company Northwest.

At noon, the walkers had a box lunch supplied by Quizno's and listened to stories told by Mrs. Wigglesworth. Then, it was back to the track where they were seranaded by "Third Train Running," "Shearwater," and "The Phantoms".

The evening ended with the last lap being walked by those living today with Parkinson's disease. As we came around the final bend, we were greeted with cheers from our friends and families as the song "We are the Champions" played over the P.A.

We raised nearly $17,000 with more donations still trickling in. Anyone who still wanted to make a donation can do so on our website. Information is also available there for those who prefer to send a check.

Jay Inslee campaign kick-off

US Representative Jay Inslee, 1st Congressional District, is holding his re-election campaign kick-off in Shoreline on Saturday, July 31, from 6 - 7:30 pm at Shoreline Community College, 1601 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline 98133, in the Student Union Building dining room.  

Free parking is available in Staff Parking lot near the Student Union Building and the Visitor Parking lot near the Administration Building.  

Suggested donation is $50.  Contributions to political campaigns are not tax-deductible.  RSVP.

Rep. Inslee has represented the 1st Congressional District since 1999.  He maintains an office in Shoreline at the Shoreline Center, as well as in Poulsbo and Washington, D.C.

Broadway in Concert: A Gala fundraiser for Seattle Musical Theatre

Seattle Musical Theatre presents Broadway in Concert, a gala fundraiser featuring your favorite local talent singing your favorite musical theatre songs, on Saturday, August 14 at 3 pm and 7 pm.

Facing a slumping economy and stiff competition for grants, Seattle Musical Theatre is raising money towards production costs, replace aging equipment and make improvements to the space.

Installing a bathroom and running water in the dressing room would improve working conditions for actors, crew and musicians who currently have to use a single portable toilet during the run of a show and is high up on Seattle Musical Theatre’s wish list. However, it is often a challenge to cover staff and production costs and extra money is not readily available for this and other such projects.

A fantastic group of actors, who have all been involved with Seattle Musical Theatre (or Civic Light Opera, as they were known up until 5 years ago) at one time, are donating their time, energy and talents to sing a wide selection of musical theatre songs. There will be songs from past shows, current and future shows, as well as some numbers from wonderful musicals that will most likely never grace the SMT stage for one reason or another.

Resident Music Director Paul Linnes will provide accompaniment on the piano.

There will be two performances. One in the afternoon at 3 pm and one in the evening, at 7:30 pm. For the 3 pm performance kids under 12 are invited to attend for free (up to two kids per paying adult). Tickets are $20 per person.

The concerts are held at the Magnuson Park Theatre, 7250 62nd Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98115. For reservations or information, call 206-363-2809 or visit the SMT webpage.

Letter to the Editor: Arts Council Board Endorses LFP Proposition 1

To the Editor:

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council joins Friends of Third Place Commons, the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center and the Shoreline School Board in endorsing the City of Lake Forest Park’s Proposition 1, a property tax levy-lid lift for retention of basic public safety and other services that will appear on the August 17, 2010 ballot.

As the City’s Resolution for Proposition 1 states, without additional revenues, the City will be required to substantially reduce basic services including public safety, parks and community services. If Proposition 1 is not passed by the voters, funding for the Arts Council and other service providers will likely be eliminated in the City’s 2011 budget. The Arts Council has been a successful and vibrant community organization for over 20 years, but is in jeopardy of losing City, County and Foundation support in this economic climate.

While the Arts Council receives just a small percentage of its budget from the City, it is critical to providing quality of life services for Lake Forest Park residents. Free events such as summer Concerts in the Park on the Showmobile Stage and the Shoreline Arts Festival; excellent affordable programming with the Arts in Culture and Children’s Performance series; a comprehensive Artists-in-Residence program in the school district; and the Gallery at Lake Forest Park Towne Centre are just a few of the many cultural amenities the community has come to rely on that will be affected by the loss of City support. Public safety, parks, access to free and low-cost programs and events and other community services make Lake Forest Park a great place to live, work and play.

Bob Pfeiffer

President

Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council

Letter to the Editor: We Can’t Afford Lake Forest Park Proposition 1

To the Editor:

Fellow citizens, when considering Proposition 1, it is normal to feel anxious how to vote yes or no. While you enjoy our shared quality of life, you also realize, life has changed. Property values have dropped, adult children have moved back home, savings are being depleted, and you realize, the economy will take years to recover. You are probably finding you have cut back on frills, and trying to payoff credit cards and loans. Moving may be out of the question because you owe more than your property is worth. Meantime, the City is asking to raise the levy lid, on the pretense it cannot operate on the tax revenue raised. The City is asking you to vote for free rein on how to spend the increased taxes, no strings attached, and in addition, it is asking for yearly CPI increase for an additional 5 years. Once the levy lift is over, the City expects to keep its raise, and will have to ask for even more. If you vote NO, the City still retains its taxing authority to use for providing its services and in the meantime give us, a recipe which fixes their structural problems. Voting No gives you the control, to make the City find more solutions now to contain costs, just like you are doing at home. Just like you have found ways to cut back, the City will too. It has a cushion of reserves. 6 years of increases is too much if it doesn’t fix the problem. Vote No on Proposition 1, and feel ok you are doing what needs to be done to keep more of your money in your wallet. Where there is a will there is a way.

Mary Jane Goss

Lake Forest Park

Evan Smith: Seattle Times endorses Baker, Ryu and Kagi

Our Newspartner, The Seattle Times, has endorsed Republican David Baker and Democrat Cindy Ryu and Ruth Kagi for the three 32nd District legislative positions on the August primary ballot.

In a Friday morning editorial, the Times called Kenmore City Councilman and Mayor Baker “a solid choice to replace State Sen. Darlene Fairley, who did not seek re-election.” Fairley, a Democrat from Lake Forest Park, has served in the Senate since 1995.

Baker is running against Democratic State Rep. Maralyn Chase and former Democratic State Rep. Patty Butler.

The Times praised Baker for his political and budgetary skills and said that Olympia is ready for his purposeful and skeptical approach to government.

The Times said that Chase’s “combative, partisan reputation” would precede her if she moves from the House of Representatives to the Senate.

A Baker victory would make him the first Republican elected from the area since 1968 and the first male candidate from either party to carry the District since 1986.

The Times endorsed Democrat Ryu for the House seat that Chase is vacating, again citing her local government experience from four years on the Shoreline City Council, two as mayor, before losing a bid for re-election to the Council last fall.

Ryu is running against Democrat Doris Fujioka McConnell, who now serves on the Shoreline Council, and Republican Art Coday, a physician.

The Times noted that Democrat McConnell has a laudable civic résumé but called Republican Coday “a blank slate with voters.”

The Times called incumbent Democratic State Rep. Ruth Kagi “the only choice” for House Position 2. The Times said that Kagi, who chairs the House early learning and children's services committee, “is an outstanding legislator,” who “has developed respected expertise on issues related to the education and care of Washington's youngest citizens.”

“Her advice and leadership on tough budget choices, especially for the state's most vulnerable populations, could not be more timely or valuable,” the Times editorial board said.

The editorial said that Republican challenger Gary Gagliardi and Democrat Stan Lippmann “are not credible options.”

Legislative District 32 includes Shoreline, Lake Forest Park. Kenmore, Woodway, part of Edmonds and unincorporated areas of northwest King and southwest Snohomish counties.

From the Other Washington: Rep. Jim McDermott says NOAA fight continues

Jim McDermott
Representative for the 7th District

Recently, I joined Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle City Councilmember Jean Godden, other elected officials, and industry leaders to urge US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to intervene and to seriously consider use of existing federal facilities in Seattle for NOAA's Marine Operations Center-Pacific homeport in light of the Department of Commerce's Inspector General Report.

We all gathered at a city park across the Duwamish River from Federal Center South, one of two existing federal facilities that could house the NOAA fleet, to state-- once again-- that consolidating NOAA's operations in Seattle at existing federal facilities is the best option for NOAA to achieve its mission and the best deal for federal taxpayers.

It was bad judgment and bad policy for NOAA to ignore so many critical factors when deciding to relocate its Marine Operations Center-Pacific. And now both the Government Accountability Office and the Commerce Department's own Inspector General have confirmed what many of us have known for a long time: this process was badly botched from the beginning.

The Department of Commerce's Inspector General Report concludes that NOAA violated its own rules by not considering existing federal facilities before starting the process that led to selection of Newport, Oregon as its homeport.

The GAO report noted that Newport is located in a floodplain and that NOAA’s review process ignored several other factors.

City of Shoreline, Town of Woodway, and Save Richmond Beach to appeal zoning regulations for urban centers

The three petitioners in the Growth Management Hearings Board appeal of Snohomish County’s “Urban Center” designation for Point Wells are all planning to also appeal the zoning regulations that dictate how an urban center can be developed.
 
 Save Richmond Beach, the City of Shoreline, and the Town of Woodway are making common cause in their concern about the development of Point Wells.

Save Richmond Beach believes that one-size does not fit all when establishing zoning for dense developments. This was supported by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in their analysis of the zoning regulations that the Snohomish County Council passed regardless of the concerns of the ULI and the surrounding jurisdictions.

The Snohomish County Council also likely violated public participation requirements by closing the record and not allowing comment on substantive new changes to the zoning regulations.
 


The jurisdictions that surround Point Wells are collaborating on an interlocal agreement (ILA) that would limit the development at Point Wells. The City of Shoreline is most concerned with  traffic impacts and the ongoing maintenance of roads and parks, while Woodway has included provisions that would protect their town’s quality of life and view corridor.

 The next step is to present the ILA to Snohomish County. They do not, however, have to agree to the terms of the agreement.
 

Information from SaveRichmondBeach.org

Photo courtesy City of Shoreline

 

Survey for families with school-aged children

The Department of Early Learning (DEL) is working with their partner agency, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), to help collect information about how Washington families want to communicate with their children's school districts. If you know families with school-age children, please let them know about this comment opportunity.

The survey below allows parents to say how they like to talk with their schools, such as through meetings or flyers and how much they like to be involved with their children's schools.  OSPI will use the survey results to make recommendations to districts how to reach out to families.

Click for the survey .

The survey will be available until August 11. Beginning this school year, schools in Washington will ask families about their experiences with their children's schools. Schools will share the information they gather in their annual reports.

For more information, visit the OSPI webpage.

Can You ID.me?

Det. Tony Matthews of the Lake Forest Park Police has set up a website called CanYouID.me. It's the modern, electronic version of the old "wanted" flyers thumbtacked to the police bulletin board.

Police departments around the the entire state will have the option of posting photos or drawings of "persons of interest" so the public can check them out and help to identify suspects, witnesses, or even innocent bystanders.

Det. Matthews says that when Washington County, Oregon police set up the original website, their case clearance rate went from 7-8% to 30%.

Photos currently on the site are the half-dozen open cases from Lake Forest Park. Police in Mercer Island, Lynnwood, Bellevue, and Milton have signed on to the project and will begin posting their own photos.

Photos will stay on the site for 60 days. New photos will be added as information is available. Each photo has an email link so tips can be sent directly to the department which posted the photo.  The tips can be anonymous.

CanYouID.me. Check it out.

Railroad overcrossing bridge project begins

On Wednesday, July 28, the beams were put in place for the temporary bridge for the Richmond Beach Overcrossing Project. The second and last was placed at about 2:30 pm after a train passed under the first beam.

The project includes constructing a temporary detour bridge with a temporary traffic signal, Once the temporary bridge is in place the old timber bridge will be torn down and a new concrete bridge constructed in its place with approaches over the two existing and very active railroad tracks.

When the new bridge is operational, the temporary bridge will be removed and presumably the at-grade crossing will be removed as well. The at-grade crossing was added so that equipment too heavy for the old bridge could be moved to 27th NW (also known as Apple Tree Lane). Burlington Northern has installed an access road to their new switch and placed a chain-link fence between the current bridge and the sewage substation along Richmond Beach Drive complete with barbed wire to inhibit foot traffic.

For safety reasons a section of Richmond Beach Drive in the vicinity of the bridge is temporarily closed to thru traffic during construction. Vehicle access to driveways will be maintained and Metro is operating under a temporary bus re-route plan.

Most of the funding for this $5 million project is through grants:

• WSDOT: $4.25 million
• BNSF: $400,000
• City: $350,000

The bridge was originally built in 1923 by Great Northern Railway Company and rebuilt in 1956. The typical life span of a timber bridge is 45 to 50 years. This bridge provides sole access to 35 homes on 27th Avenue NW, historically known as Apple Tree Lane.

--Information for this article from the City of Shoreline and from resident Tracy Tallman. Bridge photos by Tracy Tallman.

City of Shoreline residents have access to easy-to-use prescription discount card

In the current economic climate where people are watching their spending, the discount card can offer average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of prescription drugs

The City of Shoreline has launched a program to help provide residents with some relief from the high cost of prescription drugs. The City is making free prescription discount cards available to Shoreline residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC). The discount cards offer residents savings off the retail price of commonly prescribed medications.

The discount card may be used by all residents of Shoreline and has no restrictions based on the resident’s age, income level, or existing health coverage. The discount card benefits not only those without insurance, but can also be used by underinsured residents to obtain prescriptions that are excluded from health benefit plans. The NLC card can be used when purchasing prescription drugs at participating pharmacies around the city and across the country.

There is no enrollment form required to get a card, no membership fee of any kind and City residents and their family members can use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance. Cards can be printed from the Internet at no cost. City residents can visit the website to find a list of participating pharmacies and access program tools or call toll-free (888) 620-1749 for assistance with the program.

The discount card program is administered by CVS Caremark.

Participating area pharmacies:

North City

• Walgreens
• Safeway
• Fircrest School Pharmacy

Ballinger

• Rite Aid

LFP

• Rite Aid

Briarcrest-Ridgecrest

• QFC 145th
• Walgreens Lake City Wy

Town Center

• Top Food and Pharmacy 175th
• Walgreens 175th
• Fred Meyer Pharmacy
• Bartell Drugs 185th

Aurora

• Walgreens 145th
• Safeway 155th

Richmond Beach

• Rite Aid
• QFC

About The National League of Cities

The National League of Cities (NLC) is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. Learn more about NLC.

Letter to the Editor: Vote YES on LFP Prop 1!

To the Editor:

I am voting YES on LFP Proposition 1. Why? Because I live in LFP for the quality of life it provides. I appreciate City services when the sewer backs up and knowledgeable staff help me through the clean-up process, when my house is burgled and a competent policeman arrives, and when pot holes are patched. I appreciate City support for the Friends of the Commons facilitating our vibrant, inclusive community center and Farmers Market, including programs that help low income families enjoy a healthy diet. I appreciate City support for the Arts Council, teen programs and Senior Center providing needed programs for residents.

The NoLFP committee continues to perpetuate the myth that a YES vote will raise your property taxes by 38% in the first year. Wrong! That is the increase in the RATE on only the 10% of your tax bill that goes to LFP. Your total property tax thus goes up only 3.8%, about $11 per month - a latte a week.

It is outrageous that former City Council members, who were entrusted at one time to oversee and guide the City’s policies and finances, are purposefully touting misinformation and innuendo to frighten their fellow residents into voting no.

This requested increase is not the result of out of control spending, but largely from Eyman’s Initiatives (not passed here) that kept increases at 1% - lower than inflation. LFP salaries are not excessive, but in the middle of the pack with some below (per recent wage and benefit survey) and reflect costs of doing city business in the 21st century. Our current City Council is thoughtful, smart and civil. I am glad that they support the hiring of competent staff to sort out day-to-day business and help us envision a good future.

A no vote leads to downward spirals of services and morale. Like communities that fail school levies, a city cutting $700,000 in just the first year would be hard pressed to recover any time soon. A YES vote is not for frills. A YES vote is to maintain the current services and quality of life - the reasons we live here. Please vote YES!

Ros Bird

Lake Forest Park 

Voters’ Pamphlet Information – Lake Forest Park Proposition 1

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

(NOTE: This is the fourth installment of information from the King County primary-election voters’ pamphlet.)

King County voters’ pamphlets for the August primary election are in the mail, but the information also is available on line at the King County elections web site (www.kingcounty.gov/elections.aspx) under “Local voters’ pamphlet.”

      

Here’s the introductory voters-pamphlet information for Lake Forest Park Proposition 1 (For "Pro" and "Con" statements and the complete text of the resolution, see the web site or the printed pamphlet.):

City of Lake Forest Park Proposition No. 1

Levy for Retention of Basic Public Safety and Other Services

Simple Majority to pass (RCW 84.55.050)

The City Council of the City of Lake Forest Park, adopted Resolution No. 1202 concerning voter approval of its regular property tax levy.

To retain basic public safety, parks, community and other governmental services, this proposition would (1) increase the regular property tax levy above the limit factor, to a rate of $1.85 per $1,000 assessed value for collection in 2011; (2) increase the 2012-2016 levy amounts by the CPI inflation rate; and (3) authorize use of the 2016 levy amount as the base for computing levies in succeeding years; all as set forth in Resolution No. 1202.

Should this proposition be approved?

YES

NO

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The City of Lake Forest Park relies on property taxes to provide basic governmental services such as police and parks. The City of Lake Forest Park is asking voters to decide whether to authorize an increase in property taxes to a levy rate of $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This increase would apply only to the Lake Forest Park portion of your property tax bill, not your entire tax bill.

  The levy’s purpose is to retain existing levels of the City’s public safety, parks, community and other services. The City has already reduced its 2009-10 budget by $931,000 and laid off 8% of its employees, due to structural budgetary problems caused by I-695 and I-747 and exacerbated by the current economy. The City is facing a projected budget deficit of $692,000 for the year 2011.

  If approved, this levy would fill the budget gap projected for 2011, and allow the City to avoid the need for additional public safety, parks, community and other governmental service reductions; staff layoffs; or utility tax or rate hikes. The increase would amount to about $138 per year or $11.50 per month for the first year for an average Lake Forest Park home. The levy would run for six years, and would increase annually by inflation (measured by the Consumer Price Index) for the years 2012-2016. The 2016 property tax amount would be used as a base for calculating future years’ property taxes, which would be subject to existing statutory limits.

Statements for and against the measures and Rebuttals of those statements -- Available at the County elections web site or in the printed voters' pamphlet;

Complete Text of Resolution – Voters can download it from the County elections web site. Under “Local voters’ pamphlet,” click on “Measures on the Ballot,” then “City of Lake Forest Park.” Below the statements for and against the measure, is a place to download the complete text.

King County ballots, voter pamphlets already in mail

Ballots and voters’ pamphlets for the primary election have been mailed to registered voters in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and the rest of King County.

Voters can confirm that their ballots were mailed and see the progress online using the ballot-tracker system on the King County Elections website.

Voters must send their completed ballots so they are postmarked by August 17.

Voters also may return ballots at drop boxes by 8 pm August 17, Ballot drop boxes are at the county elections office in Tukwila and in downtown Seattle at the King County Administration Building. They also can leave ballots during business hours at accessible voting sites in Seattle, Tukwilla and Bellevue.

Voters can visit the elections website or call the elections office 206-296-VOTE for information.

Geoffrey Castle Band, Wednesday, August 4, 7 pm, Animal Acres park

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council invites you to experience the unique sounds of the electric violin as we present The Geoffrey Castle Band at 7 pm on August 4 at Animal Acres Park in Lake Forest Park. If you’ve never heard Jimi Hendrix played on the violin then you’re in for a treat. Grab your dancing shoes, some friends and a picnic and come on down to this exciting, family friendly show. Rain or shine, the entertainment will be fine!

More on Geoffrey Castle:

Electric Six-string Violinist Geoffrey Castle fearlessly brings the violin back to center stage with virtuoso showmanship and a 21st century attitude. Castle's fresh approach to Celtic music is most evident on his latest release Streets of Inwood: Celtic Soul bringing a more urban, smooth, and bluesy approach to traditional Celtic material.

"On his solo album, Mist on the Mountain, the Seattle violinist offers an eleven-track collection of stunning originals showcasing his pioneering talent on six-string electric violin. Tapping ancient Celtic melodies and modern pop, rock, and jazz, Castle has created a pure, uncluttered masterpiece. Among the gems is the ethereal Underhill's Waltz, and a remarkable version of Miles Davis' All Blues."
—Gene Stout, Seattle Post Intelligencer

Animal Acres Park is located at NE 178th St. and Brookside Blvd in Lake Forest Park. Information about these and other Arts Council events and programs is available by calling the SLFPAC at 206-417-4645. Concerts in the Park are sponsored by Shoreline Bank, the cities of Lake Forest Park and Shoreline and 4Culture.

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture all of the arts in the community through programs and events, arts education, advocacy, and support for artists and arts organizations.

Council seeks volunteers for voter’s pamphlet Proposition 1 pro and con committees

At its July 26 meeting, the Shoreline City Council adopted a resolution placing Proposition 1 on the November 2, 2010, general election ballot. Proposition 1 is a maintenance and operations levy to maintain basic public safety, parks and recreation, and community services.

Accompanying the ballots will be the King County Voter’s Pamphlet. The pamphlet will include an explanatory statement from the City that states the effect of Proposition 1 if approved. In response will be statements in support and opposition to the ballot measure. State law requires the City Council to appoint two committees to draft the pro and con statements. The committees can have no more than three members each; however, the committees may seek advice from any person or persons. The committees will also have an opportunity to write a rebuttal statement to the other side’s statement.

Individuals interested in applying for one of the committee positions should submit an application form to the Shoreline City Clerk no later than August 3. Applications can be found at the City website. The City Council will review the applications and appoint the committee members at its August 9 business meeting.

To learn more about the requirements for the voter’s pamphlet and the duties of the pro and con committees, download this document.

CHS Reduces Programming

by Heather Fritts

As previously reported, the Center for Human Services has announced their plan to decrease our Family Support programming, specifically in the areas of Early Childhood and Youth Development. “Decreasing our programming (which meant laying off staff) was our only option to respond to significant losses in revenue, but we are deeply saddened by this necessity”, stated CHS Executive Director Beratta Gomillion.

The programming changes that occur in Shoreline beginning September 1, 2010 are:

• The After-School Program (4 days a week) at the Shoreline Family Center called Afterschool Adventures” will be eliminated.
• The After-School Program at Ballinger Homes Public Housing Community (Homework Factory) will be decreased from four days a week to three days a week.
• The Ballinger Action Teens program will be eliminated.
• CHS will offer five Play and Learn Groups at the Shoreline Family Center instead of seven.

Additionally, in 2011, CHS will no longer offer the summer camp (“Summer Explorers”) at the Shoreline Family Center. Their cuts are not limited to Shoreline, for they are also eliminating similar programming at the Northshore Family Center in Bothell.

As stated by Ms Gomillion, “As Executive Director, I assure you that these programs are closing or being reduced strictly because of funding problems and in no way is related to the effectiveness of the services. The economy has hit human services very hard, especially through the loss of King County funding, grants, and individual donations.”

CHS has been a part of the Shoreline community since 1970 and also provides family counseling and substance abuse treatment services.

Make a Splash at the YMCA

Swim lessons have been taught at the YMCA for over 100 years dating back to 1906. Tens of millions of people across the country learned how to swim at a Y, including Olympic medalists Mark Spitz, Greg Louganis and Janet Evans, as well as former President Ronald Reagan.

Summer swim lessons taught by highly trained, certified instructors at the Dale Turner Family YMCA are a fun and effective way to strengthen your swimming skills or begin learning how to swim. With affordable prices and a new session starting every two weeks during the summer, now is the time to learn how to swim at the YMCA.

The Dale Turner Family YMCA offers swim lessons for all abilities, from beginner to advanced. With progressive skill level classes available for children ages six months to twelve years, along with adult classes and private lessons, the Dale Turner Family YMCA truly has a swim program for everyone.

Register online for swim lessons.

Financial assistance, to the extent possible, is available to families in need. Please call 206-363-0446 for more information. The Dale Turner Family YMCA is located at 19290 Aurora Ave N.

Letter to the Editor: NoLFPprop1 Committee Relying on Misconceptions and Twisted Facts

To the Editor:

Two days ago, I received a very upsetting flyer in the mail from “The Lake Forest Park Rangers” dealing with LFP Prop 1. Besides being in very poor taste, this “Tortured Baby” flyer is full of misinformation and twisted facts. After a little research, it appears that the” LFP Rangers” are a registered 527 Group, which is a political entity set up specifically to influence the outcome of an election. Due to an IRS loophole, 527 groups do not have to report the names of supporters or how much money was contributed. Curiously, their return address is that of one of the NoLFP Committee’s most vocal advocates.

Why the secrecy? Why the need to hide who your supporters are or where your money is coming from?

I find it interesting that so many of the NoLFP supporters are displaced or failed candidates for local office. Perhaps they should listen to the 67% of Lake Forest Park citizens who stated in the City’s most recent survey that they were happy with the current level of services, and the 50% of respondents who stated that they would be willing to pay a small increase in taxes to maintain those services.

The NoLFP Committee (their name says it all) is relying on secrecy, misinformation, and fear to push an agenda that is not good for our community, and ignores the fact that, in order to preserve our wonderful community, we must pay for the services that we all enjoy. Please vote YES on LFP Prop 1.

George Piano

Lake Forest Park

Did you miss Tuesday's email digest?

Feedburner, the program which handles the email subscriptions, hiccuped on Tuesday. Some subscribers received the email digest late, some didn't receive it at all, and some of you may have received a truncated version.

Here's what you might have missed:

• Donate school supplies, socks and underwear for the Back to School Consortium
• Voters’ Pamphlet Information – 32nd District, State representative, Position 2
• Tom Traeger, artist and former Shoreline Schools superintendent
• Shoreline Police Blotter 7-13 to 7-20-2010
• Museum supporters demonstrate outside Shoreline City Hall
• Letter to the Editor: Now is not the time to add local taxes in LFP

If you want to set up an email subscription, the information is here.

Learn about LFP Prop 1 on Monday, August 2, 7-8 pm Commons stage

Lake Forest Park has put a measure on the primary ballot for a "levy lid lift," which is the legal terminology for a property tax increase.

City council approved the recommendation of the mayor and city staff to put the measure on the ballot for the citizens to approve. They say that LFP is run prudently and has already made cuts to essential services and outsourced other services to save money. With revenues dropping and forecasted to drop even further, and the rate of inflation outpacing the rate of revenue, they feel it is necessary to ask voters to increase the property tax income to the city beyond the 1% allowed by law in order to maintain the services that citizens want.

The NO campaign, which includes several former city council members, maintains that the tax increase would raise the City's property tax rate 38.6% in the first year with taxes then automatically escalating each year for an additional 5 years. The property tax level at the end of the 5 years would become the new base and would not go back to what it was in 2010.

The NO committee contends that The City needs to focus on providing core services efficiently without increasing taxes.

Voters can hear the arguments for themselves on Monday, August 2, from 7-8 pm on the Third Place Commons state at the League of Women Voters Lake Forest Park branch voter forum on the LFP Prop 1 Levy Lid Lift. 

New gallery show and open house at City Hall Gallery

White Magnolia by Gudrun Bayerlein.  Courtesy SL-LFP Arts Council.

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council and Shoreline City Hall Gallery present Details, a new exhibit focusing on micro views of our environment and human introspection.

Artists include Gudrun Bayerlein, black and white photography, Janice Maple and Jan Primous, acrylic paintings, and Shoreline artists Judith Heim, mixed media and Laura Brodax, silk-screened photo tiles. 

Of particular local interest are Heim’s constructions that incorporate original window screens from her 1890 Richmond Beach home, and Brodax’s photos taken in woodland areas of the city. Please join us on Monday, August 9 from 5:30 - 7 pm for a special artist Open House.

This exhibit runs from August 4 through September 30 at the Shoreline City Hall Gallery. Artwork at City Hall may be viewed any time during regular hours, Monday – Friday, 8 am to 5 pm except holidays.

Shoreline City Hall is located at 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133. For more information please contact the Arts Council at 206-417-4645 or Ros Bird, City of Shoreline Public Art Coordinator.

The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture all of the arts in the community through programs and events, arts education, advocacy, and support for artists and arts organizations.

Echo Lake Neighborhood Association weeds the Interurban

The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association held its annual work party in Echo Lake Park on Tuesday, July 20. They weeded the section of the Interurban Trail that runs through Echo Lake Park, put new bark on the garden areas, and picked up litter. About 25 volunteers participated.

Normally the work party would put a load of sand on the tiny beach but someone drove a stolen truck into the lake the day before and the City was worried that new sand might trap the oil and gas from the vehicle.

The work party was followed by the annual picnic in the park. Kid activities were provided by neighborhood volunteers. Politicians weeded and worked the crowd. Over 100 people enjoyed the picnic dinner. And the weather cooperated beautifully.

Attendees brought in food for the HopeLink food bank, books for the Council of Neighborhoods book sale the next evening, used ink cartridges for Echo Lake Elementary, and Labels for Education and Boxtops for Education for the schools.

The Echo Lake Neighborhood Association meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from September to November; and from January to June, 7 pm at City Hall.  The annual work party and picnic is the 3rd Tuesday of July. Anyone is lives or works in the ELNA area is welcome to participate. ELNA is bounded by 205th, I-5, 185th, and Aurora.

For more information on neighborhood associations in Shoreline, check the web page.

Shoreline Council votes to place levy lid lift proposition on November ballot

At its July 26 meeting, the Shoreline City Council adopted a resolution placing Proposition 1, a maintenance and operations levy to maintain basic public safety, parks and recreation, and community services, on the November 2, 2010, general election ballot. If approved by Shoreline voters, the levy will maintain current police/emergency protection including neighborhood patrols and crime prevention; preserve safe parks, trails, playgrounds/playfields and the Shoreline pool; and maintain community services including Shoreline’s senior center and youth programs.

The levy would restore the City’s property tax rate to $1.48 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2011. It will also limit the annual increase for property tax levies in 2012 through 2016 to an amount not to exceed the Seattle Consumer Price Index measure of inflation and will use the 2016 levy as the base for future year levies.

In 2001 Washington voters approved an initiative that limited most jurisdictions to an increase in property tax revenue to 1% or less per year, unless a higher rate is authorized by a vote of the people. Through conservative fiscal policies, increased efficiencies, budget reductions, hiring freezes, savings and some new revenues, Shoreline has not had to request the voters to approve a higher rate for the last ten years. As a result of the 1% limit the City’s property tax rate has decreased from $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2001 to a projected $1.20 in 2011. However, as with many other jurisdictions, the 1% cap on annual property tax increases is catching up with the City’s ability to maintain essential services.

The City is now at a point where it will need to either cut basic services and programs or increase revenues. Property tax revenues, which are the City’s largest source of revenues, simply are not keeping pace with the increased costs needed to maintain basic services. Since 2000, inflation has increased by 27% while the City’s property tax levy, excluding new construction, has increased by just over 9%. The cost of some essential items, such as police, jail services, asphalt and gasoline are increasing at rates much higher than inflation.

In May 2009 a Council appointed Citizen Committee recommended that the City Council should consider placing a levy on the ballot in 2010 or later to provide funding to maintain services that have contributed to the quality of life Shoreline residents enjoy and expect. This committee spent 18 months reviewing City financial issues and sought input from the public in formulating their final recommendations. If approved, this measure would cost the average homeowner about $7.60 per month starting in 2011, with an average over the six year period of $9.25.

To learn more about the City’s financial challenges, go to the City webpage.

--Tavia Tan

 

Letter to the Editor: Prop 1 is the outer layer of the onion

To the Editor,

There are numbers of citizens in Lake Forest Park upset over a Proposition coming up for an August 17th vote. This ballot item is just the outer layer of an onion that has been growing for years in the Park. The problem has been the Mayor and Council have been busy growing their little government at a pace that exceeds their revenue so they keep raising taxes; hence this latest one to raise the levy lid on property tax some 38.6% in the first year alone.

I was a planning commissioner and councilman for 10 years back in the mid-seventies to mid-eighties. We had approximately 8 staff then and our population was 3500. Now the City has 58 staff and 13,300 population so while the City has grown proportionately 3.8 times, the staff ratio has grown 7.25 times with a third of them making an average of $138,000 a year. This imbalance is just one example of how the City officials have misspent citizen’s monies.

Now we are making an effort to peel back the onion a bit by voting NO on Prop. 1 and the fumes are causing the Mayor and Council to tear up.

Jack Tonkin
Lake Forest Park

Donate school supplies, socks and underwear for the Back to School Consortium

Back to school support for Shoreline School District students is popping up all over Shoreline & Lake Forest Park. You can donate supplies at the following local businesses: Lake Forest Park City Hall, Walgreens on 175th/Aurora, Top Foods Shoreline, Shoreline Center Lobby, Richmond Beach Library, Center for Human Services, Dale Turner YMCA, Shoreline City Hall, Spartan Gym and the following Starbucks locations: 185th/Aurora, Richmond Beach, Aurora Village, Drive Thru on Aurora and 201st, 145th/15th, 120th/Lake City Way, 145th/Lake City Way.

At Top Foods Shoreline you can purchase a backpack with supplies for $10 and all donations go to Shoreline School District Students.

For information on how you can support the estimated 1,000 Shoreline School District students who are needing assistance this fall visit the Back to School website. Donations are needed of backpacks, school supplies for pre-school through 12th grade, new socks and underwear for size 4 children’s through adult large. A detailed list of school supplies is available on the Back to School Consortium website.

If you are a Lake Forest Park or Shoreline Business that would like to join in the Back to School effort contact Tanya Schaeffer, 206-631-8836.

Members of the Back to School Consortium:

City of Lake Forest Park; Embrace Shoreline Schools; Hopelink; City of Shoreline; Shoreline Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services; The WORKS of Shoreline PTA Council; Shoreline School District and the Readiness to Learn Program; Center for Human Services; The Vineyard; Turning Point and YMCA.