For the Birds: Bewick's Wren

In the backyard. Photo by Christine Southwick.

by Christine Southwick

When first heard, the Bewick’s Wren’s song can be mistaken for that of a Song Sparrow. But it is a little too bubbly and liquid. There is no mistaking the harsh scolding warning when you come too close to one, or a pair, of these little wrens as they forage in amongst the leaves and branches of shrubs and trunks of trees. They are insectivores incarnate, with 97% of their diet coming from the insects, larvae, and spiders they glean from vegetation in a two-to-ten acre territory. They use their long thin bills to probe far into crevices.

The male sings his song to defend his territory, and attract a female. Once mated, he builds two to four starter nests for the female’s approval. She selects and finishes one, and lays 5-6 eggs. The male stays attentive and feeds her while she is on the nest, and both parents continue to feed their young for a couple of weeks after they have fledged (left the nest).

In the night roost. Photo by Christine Southwick.

Bewick’s Wrens, pronounced Buick’s, are named after Audubon’s naturalist friend, Thomas Bewick. Here in the Puget Sound area most Bewick’s Wrens are year-round residents. Seasonally monogamous, they are solitary the rest of the year, although some pairs do stay together all year. Wrens are known for nesting in unusual places, and it is fairly common to find one wedged in a corner or small opening on your front porch where it has decided to roost on a cold wet night.

Brush piles, rhododendrons, red-twig dogwoods, twinberry, snowberry, quince, really almost any many-twigged native bush will bring them into your yard. Don’t use insecticides. It will make them sick, and you won’t need insecticides anyway, once they make your yard their home.

Because Bewick’s Wrens forage and nest usually less than ten feet from the ground, cats can be a real danger to these birds.

Banding a Bewick's wren. Photo by Christine Southwick.

When it finally gets warmer outside, and you’re surveying your yard for spring gardening, with a cup of your favorite beverage in hand, stop when you hear a harsh buzzy scolding sound. Look low into nearby bushes, and see if you can spot a dark brown bird with a white eyebrow and white throat, with its tail cocked up over its back, moving along the branches. If so, you have just found a Bewick’s Wren. Maybe it will stay, and help you take care of your garden.

Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager. She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she's sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.

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LFP Alzheimer's List reunites lost and disoriented people with their loved ones

Photo courtesy City of LFP

The Lake Forest Park police have a service to help reunite disoriented and lost individuals with their loved ones.

Last week a resident of Lake Forest Park found an elderly person wandering around their neighborhood unable to remember his name, address or where he had come from. The good neighbor brought the wanderer to the police who were able to reunite him with his loved ones quickly because he was on a list of people who have memory problems.

Last month, an elderly woman was found wandering in Third Place Books by a staff member. Police were able to identify her quickly and call her husband to pick her up.

Getting someone in the system is easy. If you have someone in your home who could become confused or disoriented, come to the police department on the second floor of City Hall and fill out a form which identifies the person. Bring a current photo to attach to the file. The paper file is available to the police to identify the disoriented person and reunite them with their family members.

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Put on your dancing shoes for the Dueling Decades Dance Mar 19

Put on your dancing shoes, because the Shorecrest Boosters have invited you to their annual Dueling Decades Dance. March 19, 7 pm to midnight, at the Kenmore Community Club, 7304 NE 175th Street, Kenmore.

Request music from your favorite decade, and dance the night away!

$25 per ticket includes appetizers, a complimentary drink and music. A dessert and wine auction is included.

Proceeds help raise money for Shorecrest High School sports, clubs and activities.

More details and tickets at the Booster webpage.  Tickets are also available at Third Place Books and at the door.

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Evan Smith: First candidates for Shoreline City Council

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

One incumbent and one challenger have already registered with the State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) as candidates for the Shoreline City Council.

Incumbent Councilman Terry Scott and newcomer Jesse Salomon are the first local candidates to file with the PDC, a step that allows them to raise and spend money for the August primary and November general election,

Scott reports $2,519 raised and $400 spent toward re-election. He was first elected in 2007 and served as deputy mayor in 2008 and 2009.

Salomon, who has yet to say what position he will run for, reports no money raised or spent.

Candidates file for office in early June.

Positions on this year’s ballot are those held by Scott, Chris Eggen and Doris McConnell.

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Greggie Dee at Club Hollywood

Greggie Dee, pianist

Solo Pianist Greggie Dee is performing the Dinner shows at the Club Hollywood on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm.

His repertoire includes jazz standards, blues and original compositions. Greg has performed at Benaroya Hall and The Seattle Symphony.

You can check him out for no cover charge every Wednesday from 6-8 pm at Club Hollywood, 16716 Aurora Avenue N, Shoreline WA 98133. 206-546-4444.

Brief samples of his music are on his webpage.

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Reception to honor Shoreline Schools Support Staff Members

The members of the Shoreline School Board

and Sue Walker, Superintendent,

cordially invite you to a reception honoring

support staff members

and

Greg DiMaio, Rich Maden and John Martin,

2011 Shoreline Support Persons of the Year

Monday, March 7, 2011,

6:30 p.m., in the Shoreline Center Lobby.

Refreshments provided by Shorecrest Culinary Arts

All district staff and community members

are invited to honor Greg, Rich and John and express their appreciation to all of our

caring and dedicated support staff members. Shoreline Support Staff Appreciation Week will be celebrated March 7 to 11.

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Rescheduled SCC presentation: Securing Land Rights for Women in the World's Poorest Countries

The presentation by Diana Fletschner of LANDSEA, "Securing Land Rights for Women in the World's Poorest Countries" has been rescheduled to 7-8:30 pm on Wednesday, March 2, Shoreline Community College PUB 9208.

The free presentation was originally scheduled for February 23. It is part of NGO Humanitarian Assistance Symposium.

Also on Wednesday, students in the dental professions can hear how to combine study abroad and service learning at the "Bolivia Smiles Forever" presentation by Rosie Bellert, RDH, BS, Interim Director, Smiles Forever Foundation.

It will be held from 3-4 pm, Wednesday, March 2, Shoreline Community College PUB 9208.

For questions or comments, contact Larry Fuell of the SCC Global Affairs Center.

Shoreline Community College is located at 16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline 98133.

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Quick Start Lunch 'n Learn Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Tuesday Lunch and Learn for start-up business owners, March 1, 12 noon to 1:30 pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Avenue N, is presented by Shoreline Community College Small Business Accelerator and the city of Shoreline. The sessions are free; bring a brown bag lunch.

Exporting your products around the world: Do’s, Don’ts and Tips

Richard Shilling, CGBP

Speaker: Richard Shilling, CGBP

The Federal Government is adding programs to promote exports of US produced products. Mr. Shilling, with a background of 25 years of international sales, starts where the government stops. His talk will be an overview of exporting, from his perspective of selling industrial equipment in many markets around the world. His talk will briefly outline the rules and regulations - and tell you where to find them. Markets, negotiations and do's and don'ts will also be covered. This talk will be interesting to attendees who are merely interested in export, casual exporters and seasoned exporters as well.

Contact Mark McVeety Director, Small Business Accelerator, Shoreline Community College for more information.

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SCC Basketball teams split with Peninsula to end basketball season

Hooyman scored 22 for SCC, Photo by Wilson Tsoi

Lady Dolphins End Season With A Win:

After a slow start, the Lady Dolphins opened a 14 point half-time lead and never gave it up in the second half as they went on to be Peninsula College 74-53, the second highest point total for SCC in the season.

Gnanamani Hooyman led SCC with 22 points, while Kylie Williams followed closely with 21 points.

SCC finished the season 7-17 on the season, 3-13 in the NWAACC Northern Region. Peninsula finished 2-14 in the region and 5-20 overall.

Shoreline said good-bye to four sophomores, Kylie Williams, Yan Tsoi Hoi, Andrea Schneider and Lynsey Sandum.

Alfie Miller scores 21 for Dolphins in his final game at SCC
Photo by Wilson Tsoi.

SCC Men’s Squad Ends Season With A Loss:

The Shoreline CC Men’s Basketball Team suffered a final game loss to Peninsula, dropping a 80-67 game to playoff bound Peninsula. 

The Dolphins showed fatigue from an overtime loss to Everett on Saturday night, as the Pirates gained the upper hand early and SCC never threatened with a run during the game. 

PC was up 40-31 at half and maintained the lead during the second half.

SCC was led by Alfie Miller with 21 points and Sean Jones with 13.

SCC finished the season 13-13 overall, and fifth in the Northern Region (6-10) after winning the region last season.

SCC lost three sophomores, Alfred Miller-Soukasen, Sean Jones and Joe Holifield, all core members of the 2011 Region Championship team.

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Shoreline Police Blotter 1-11 to 1-24-2011 - domestic violence, Black Magic, and murder for hire

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

by Diane Hettrick - categories are mine - reports are police - who could make this stuff up?

A bad week for Domestic Violence - harassment, slapping, strangling, Black Magic and murder for hire

01-14...14817 Aurora, Rodeway Inn. Domestic violence call.

01-17...11xx NE 185. Couple married 13 years, two children under five. He's unemployed and she just found out she's pregnant. Got into an argument. Husband moved wife after she blocked the bedroom doorway with her body.

01-17...203xx Dayton N. Woman received two missed calls and three text messages from ex-boyfriend.

01-18...13xx N 175. Woman left home to report that her husband strangled her ten days prior.

01-19...155xx Dayton N. Argument between boyfriend and girlfriend. Boyfriend was slapped across face.

01-19...195xx 7 NE. Black Magic blamed as reason for wife's infidelity. Murder for hire plot is threatened.

01-19...1xx N 203. Police dispatched on domestic violence call. All participants drunk, no evidence of crime. Arrested one woman on misdemeanor warrants.

01-20...171xx 15 NE, apartments. Husband and wife fight and he slaps her around.

01-22...163xx Densmore N. 911 hang up call, involved party in disturbance has misdemeanor warrant and was arrested.

01-22...190xx Meridian N. Husband and wife, married six years, two children. Got in argument and one scratched and slapped the other.

Nabbed from the streets - driving with suspended/revoked license

01-13...N 200/Aurora. 01-19...169xx Dayton. 01-20...N 185/1 NE. License suspended. Driver didn't know. 01-21...175xx 12 NE. 01-21...182xx Aurora.

Nabbed from the streets, part II

01-22...600 N 160. Driver has 2 misdemeanor warrants from Seattle.

01-21...NE 170/15 NE. License revoked 2nd degree. Booked into Snohomish County jail, vehicle impounded.

Nabbed from the streets, part III Driving While Stoned

01-14...N 155/Aurora. License revoked. Also marijuana and pipe.

01-15...NE 200/25 NE. Woman backed into road sign. When contacted she had a pipe filled with marijuana on the dash of her car.

Hand over your drugs! Uh, ok.

01-16...19527 Aurora, Days Inn. Arrested on warrant. Meth and marijuana found on person.

01-19...N 175/Aurora. Man caught urinating in public place. When contacted, volunteered marijuana.

Caught some of the shoplifters this week - handguns and cross-dressers

01-16...1345 N 205, Office Max. Employee noticed that shopper had a bulge under his coat. Shopper took off running and tripped the door alarm (signifying unpaid items).

01-18...14500 15 NE, Goodwill. Shoplifter caught.

01-18...20036 Ballinger Way, Thriftway. Known shoplifter hit them again and got away. Description: mixed race male, possibly dressing as a woman, 20's, 5'10" with black hair, wearing black hooded sweatshirt, long dark jeans, and carrying a black puma bag with pink writing.

01-19...15711 Aurora, Sears. Caught a shoplifter.

01-20...15332 Aurora, Safeway. Caught guy who shoplifted food. During arrest, a handgun fell from suspect's pants.

01-21...18325 Aurora, Fred Meyer. Shoplifted one bottle of beer.

The full moon was February 18

01-17...2xx N 185. Victim bi-polar and off meds. Involuntary commitment to Northwest Hospital.

01-19...Metro North Base. Former friend may be having mental health issues. victim was attacked while arriving at his job after a business dispute with the former friend.

01-20...15332 Aurora, Safeway. Man Trespassed from Safeway. Had 3 warrants.

01-20...19300 3 NW, Einstein. Autistic student stood up in science class and threatened to shoot the teacher and students.

01-21...202xx 20 Pl NE. Mental complaints. Involuntary commitment.

Fraud - many varieties

01-17...1235 N 205, Radio Shack. Store took a counterfeit fifty dollar bill.

01-18...13xx N 184 Ct. Woman found that someone opened a T-Mobile account in 2003 using her social security number.

01-18...16xx N 157. Mail theft.

01-18...7xx N 160. Someone requested a second credit card on her account and had it sent to a different address.

01-19...7xx NE 198. Elder financial abuse.

01-20...202xx 23 NW. Debit card stolen.

01-21...179xx Linden. Woman paid her Penney's bill and put the envelope in the mailbox for pickup. Check picked up by thief who washed, forged, and cashed it.

01-21...22xx NE 169. Telephone fraud. Scammer said victim had to provide information to protect his account.

Car prowls

01-18...7xx N 195. Victim found a man rifling through her vehicle, in her driveway.

01-20...203xx 15 NW. Caught a car prowler, in possession of stolen property, alcohol, and weed.

01-21...169xx 25 NE. Car prowl. Unlocked, parked in residential driveway.

01-22...145xx Phinney N, apartments. Car prowl. Unlocked, rifled. Car had WSU football on dashboard.. Thief wrote "Dogs" in condensation on trunk.

Lost and found

01-18...198xx Bagley, Ballinger Commons. Stolen car dumped in parking lot.

01-20...N 203/Meridian. Found GPS unit on trail in Ballinger Commons.

01-20...22xx NE 197 Pl, apartments. Title to recently purchased vehicle possible taken from residence by unknown suspect.

Thievery - if you live in Ballinger Homes, nail down your satellite dish

01-18...22xx NE 200, Ballinger Homes. Someone stole a satellite dish from ground in front of door.

01-19...199xx Ballinger. Boarding house, entered locked room and stole items. Possible suspect from pawn information.

01-19...17545 Aurora, car dealership. Suspect stole Cadillac-branded letterman's jacket and left his own jacket.

01-21...19030 1 NE, Shoreline soccer fields. Unattended backpack stolen.

01-21...155xx Bagley Pl N. Stole bicycle from back yard of residence.

01-22...22xx NE 199 Ct., Ballinger Homes. Stole satellite dish from back yard.

Among the Missing

01-19...198xx 25 NE, apartments. Juvenile runaway.

01-20...3xx NW 178. Juvenile runaway (her weekly run).

01-22...7xx N 184. Resident missing from adult family home.

01-23...3xx NW 178. Juvenile runaway. (That's twice this week.)

01-23...147xx 22 NE. Juvenile runaway.

Reckless driving

01-19...167xx Whitman N. Two detectives were at business on unrelated police matter and chased down a driver driving recklessly in snow and standing water.

01-20...N 175/Aurora. Reckless driving through construction zone.

Bunglers

01-20...15xx NE 166. Suspect attempted to unlock deadbolt at rear entrance of house.

01-21...172xx 10 NW. Victim returned home to find suspect on his porch.

And in other news...

01-19...21xx N 155. Victim had unknown word spray painted on garage, eggs thrown at front door, and mailbox dented by a blunt object.

01-19...16510 Aurora, 76 Station. Damage to Taco Bus as thieves cut and steal wire from junction box.

01-21...165xx Carlyle Hall Rd. Natural death.

Worth repeating just in case you missed it

01-19...195xx 7 NE. Black Magic blamed as reason for wife's infidelity. Murder for hire plot is threatened.

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Dolphins explained

by Diane Hettrick, Editor

In the recent historical Seattle Times newspaper article about Point Wells, (Oil Companies Build for Needs of the Future) the term "dolphin" was used. I Googled it and other than references to marine mammals, the only reference that seemed to fit was to oil rigs built by a family-owned Scottish business called Dolphin Drilling, which had been in business for 150 years.

Google failed me.

But reader Owen "Andy" Anderson came to the rescue. Andy spent his career as a Radio Officer on ocean-going vessels, so he knows about dolphins of both kinds. And instead of Google, he used the dictionary.

Here's what I posted with his explanation below:

From the story: "The contract has been let for a dock 250 feet long and for dolphins to accommodate steamships which will moor there and pump gasoline into the tanks on shore. The dock will be completed in May. (Editor - not sure but I think they are talking about drilling rigs made by the Scottish firm Dolphin Drilling Rigs.)"

From Andy: A "dolphin" is a device used to moor a ship. The dictionary describes it as a "pile or buoy for mooring". A 250 ft dock is not very long. A ship normally will have at least 1 bow line and 1 stern line plus 1 or 2 spring lines. The bow and stern lines are moored away from the bow and stern by a fair distance so a 500 ft. vessel would require moorings of perhaps 700 to 800 ft apart. With a dock of only 250 ft. they would probably have 2 dolphins, each somewhere around 100 to 200 ft. (possibly more) from each end of the dock.

Makes sense. Interesting that the 1912 Seattle Times writer, who meticulously explained everything else, assumed that his readers would understand the term dolphin.

Another addition to the story: Evan Smith says that Standard Oil of California became Chevron.

Now does anyone know what happened to the "natural spring"; where the "20 acres" were filled in; when the "Dutch oil company" sold its property; and whether the property still includes the "17 acres of land rising 300 feet" which I thought now belonged to Woodway?

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Town Hall meeting with 32nd District legislative team

The three legislators for the 32nd Legislative District will hold a Town Hall meeting on Saturday, March 12, from 10 am to noon, at Third Place Commons, Lake Forest Park Towne Centre, 17171 Bothell Way (at Ballinger Way), LFP 98155.

Sen. Maralyn Chase, Rep. Ruth Kagi, and Rep. Cindy Ryu will share their perspectives on the current legislative session and answer questions.

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Evan Smith: Chase’s first Senate bill gets passed with roast from colleagues

By Evan Smith

ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer

Sen. Maralyn Chase passed her first bill in the State Senate last week, but only after some good-natured comments from her new colleagues.

Senators passed Chase’s bill to encourage instruction in the Civil Rights movement, by a vote of 47-0, but only after they commented on Chase’s penchant for introducing many bills and for riding a three-wheeler.

The bill came from students at Madrona K-12 School in the Edmonds part of the 32nd Legislative District. (See story).

One senator suggested that costs of the bill be covered by a tax on three-wheeled vehicles.

Another senator suggested that a bill shouldn’t take longer to be explained than to be read.

One senator, alluding to Chase’s passion for recycling, suggested that she write a bill to encourage recycling.

As is the custom, Sen. Chase then gave her colleagues a book about sunsets, a tiny electric car and some chocolates among other gifts — all of course wrapped in cellophane, not plastic.

Chase won election to the Senate in November after serving nine years in the State House of Representatives.

Chase’s district includes Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Woodway, south Edmonds and unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish counties.

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Edmonds students successfully lobby for passage of civil rights history bill

Sen. Maralyn Chase with students from Madrona school in Edmonds

Sen. Maralyn Chase's first successful bill, to encourage instruction in the Civil Right Movement, was proposed by The MLK Group, a team of fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Madrona K-8 in the Edmonds School District. 

The group studied the civil rights movement in preparation for an assembly celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. day. They were inspired to share what they learned and wanted to encourage others to understand the history of civil rights in our country.

One of the students, Chase Simerka, decided to ask Sen. Maralyn Chase, D-Shoreline, his grandmother and legislative representative, to help the group create a law encouraging learning about civil rights history. “This idea belongs to the whole group,” said Simerka.

In a joint statement, The MLK Group said: “We think we are lucky that we live in this time, and we have freedoms here. We think it is important to learn about places and times that don’t have the freedoms we share. If people don’t learn about the Civil Rights movement, people could take it for granted. This might lead to the same things happening again. We also learned that kids can make a difference, and we want other kids to know they can too.”

On January 17, Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, Sen. Chase introduced SB 5174. The bill was granted a hearing, and the students were able to participate through a live conference call and video presentation. When the bill was voted on in committee the class erupted into cheers.

“I am very proud of the work this group of kids has done, meeting during recesses and after school time to work on this project,” said Judi MacRae, the group’s advisor.

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WeatherWatcher: Weekly Weather Feb 19 - 25, 2011

Carl's Shoreline Weather Station

Warmest and coldest days are based on average temperature of the entire day, starting at midnight. All other averages are based on the whole week.

• Warmest day: 36.5ºF (Saturday)
• Coldest day: 24ºF (Friday)
• Rainiest day: 0.08 inches (Monday)

• Average temperature: 32.2ºF
• High temperature: 44.4ºF (Monday)
• Low temperature: 20.8ºF (Friday)

Total rainfall: 0.16 inches (This week’s rainfall has actually been caused by melting snow in the rain gauge. The rest of the snow fall has actually evaporated, not melted on Thursday night and Friday due to the dry arctic air that moved in.)

• High humidity: 100%
• Low humidity: 33% (Sunday)
• Average humidity: 81%

• High pressure: 29.619 inches
• Low pressure: 29.205 inches
• Average pressure: 29.4 inches

Weather highlights this week:

• This was a very cold week! Notice our average temperature was below 40ºF this week.
• The only day that was not below freezing for a low temperature was Saturday.
• Thursday and Friday averaged below freezing. Thursday barely broke the freezing mark with a high of 32.1ºF.
• Monday night we had a wintery mix, which eventually turned to snow and left a dusting on the ground.
• Wednesday and Thursday: A winter storm warning was issued for Wednesday (the second winter storm warning issued for the 2010/2011 winter season,) but the storm basically missed Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. We had intermittent snow showers throughout the two days, each left about a trace to half an inch of snow. Thursday had a heavy enough shower in the evening to accumulate 2 inches of snow. So over the two days I’m calling it a total of 4 inches of snow. The trace amounts kept melting away as the ground was not quite below freezing yet, however most of the 2 inches Thursday night actually evaporated on Friday, due to the cold and very dry air.

Weather for the coming week:

• Sunday may warm up a little bit for a melt off of the little frozen stuff we have left.
• Temperatures all week are expected to struggle making it past the 40ºF mark. With the exception of one or two warm fronts that may pass through. Snow levels will remain between 1000 feet and sea level, so we may have continued interesting weather this week off and on as well. Probably another busy week for me! Stay tuned for future weather advisories, watches or warnings as I suspect we may have a couple more this week.

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Afghan dinner Mar 9 supports schools for girls in Afghanistan

Amina Shah was born and raised in Afghanistan. She now lives here and is a senior at Shorecrest High School in Shoreline. The education she is getting here is a stark contrast to the opportunities for girls in her homeland and she dreams of making things better for them.

"The women of my country are very strong and have gone through a lot; if they were given a chance to go to school they would work hard and help to rebuild the country."

Girls' school in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy Ayni and Amina Shah.

For her senior project at Shorecrest, Building Blocks for Education, Amina is hosting an Afghan dinner to raise money for girls' schools in Afghanistan.

She and her family will cook the meal, with the proceeds from donations going to Seattle-based Ayni Education International, a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation that has built and repaired over 18 schools in Afghanistan.

The dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 6:30 pm at Shorecrest High School Cafeteria, 15343 25 Ave NE, Shoreline WA 98155.

Julia Bolz of Ayni will speak about Ayni's project in Afghanistan at the dinner. (See Afghan Advocate Receives Award in The Seattle Times.)

Reserve your seat now.

Suggested donation is $15 adults and $11 students, but you may donate more.

In addition, you may also donate directly to Ayni, with credit going to Amina, by using this website.

If you have questions or need more information, email Amina.

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The Seattle Times Mar 24, 1912, Point Wells "Oil companies build for needs of future"

Thanks to Tracy Tallman for finding this article in The Seattle Times archives, March 24, 1912,  on the origin of the oil industry at Point Wells. There is a damaged spot in the middle of the article.

OIL COMPANIES BUILD FOR NEEDS OF FUTURE

___________________________________

Two Great Corporations Erect Storage Tanks at Wells Point, Anticipating Opening of Panama Canal.

___________________________________

SOME FOR FUEL OIL

OTHERS FOR GASOLINE

___________________________________

Foreign Company Sees in American Automobile and Motor Boat Trade Chance to Sell Its Product.

---------

Long in advance of the city of Seattle, the port of Seattle district, or of any other business corporation. In anticipating the increased business that the next few years will bring to the Northwest, two great corporations whose business is the sale of oil in its various forms for months have been building near Richmond Beach oil storage tanks which will be completed within the next sixty days and which will make their owners the first to be prepared for the opening of the Panama Canal.

One of these corporations is the Western branch of the Standard Oil Company, now dissolved, known as the Standard Oil Company of California. The other is a foreign corporation, variously known as the American and Oriental Oil Company, the Asiatic Oil Company and the Shelley-Royal Dutch Company. The two companies are building side by side at Wells Point, fourteen miles north of Seattle and one mile north of Richmond Beach.

The Standard Oil Company improvements represent the greater investment and are in a further advanced stage of construction. The company has forty-seven acres of land, of which twenty acres, the site of the improvements now building, is filled-in land.

Ambitious Program Begun

The company now is constructing the first unit of what it plans to make eventually the largest and finest oil-distributing plant in the country. This consists of six tanks for the storing of fuel oil for steamships, the tanks having a total capacity of 300,000 barrels. Four of them will have a capacity of 55,440 barrels each. Two have been completed and the two others are nearing completion. Two smaller ones will be for measuring tanks. The tanks alone will cost $50,000.

A dock 400 feet long also has been completed. With a depth, at the end, of forty feet of water at extreme low tide, it will accommodate the largest vessels afloat.

A concrete pump house, almost finished, will be equipped with two pumps, each of which will discharge fuel oil into steamships at the end of the dock at the rate of 2,000 barrels per hour. A concrete boiler house, now building, will be equipped with two boilers of 100 horse-power each.

A spur track, 940 feet long, connecting with the main line of the Great Northern Railway, will give the company as great facilities in land transportation as its splendid dock facilities will give it on water. Above the track the company owns seventeen acres of land, which rises to an elevation of 300 feet, and on which spring water is abundant. A pipe line will be built to furnish water for the boiler house and for the accommodation of steamships taking on oil.

Site Was Long Wanted

The Standard Oil Company, for years, has been seeking a site for a storage plan from which to distribute to various parts of the Northwest. The need of such a site became even more apparent after the beginning of work on the Panama Canal. After an investigation of all points on Puget Sound had been made, representatives of the company finally selected Wells Point, just as they were returning to Seattle disappointed with the results of their trip.

Deep water, shelter and the possibility of filling in land made the site ideal, and a tract was purchased for $47,000. A peculiar coincidence came to light in the discovery, when the effort was made to buy a small tract adjoining on the north, that the property had been tied up by the foreign corporation, showing both that it recognized the strategic advantages of the place and the opportunities for trade de... in the Northwest. That wa .. ago. The foreign ...held an option ... that the S ..

(13 lines missing - original article damaged)

Including .. of the original track and .. filling in twenty acres .. shore line, the improvements ... a cost to the Standard Oil Company of approximately $150,000. The greater part of the improvements will have been completed by May 1, and the company plans to fuel oil-burning vessels within sixty days.

Foreign Investors Well Rated

The foreign corporation, known by various names in various climes, is one that is new to American business. It is the owner of vast oil properties in Sumatra, in the Dutch Indies, and is backed by Holland capital, commonly supposed to be that of the Rothschilds. (Editor- probably what became Royal Dutch Shell). Its business in Seattle and the Northwest will be conducted through a subsidiary corporation known as the Indian Oil Refining Company. The company's representative in Seattle is J.C. Van Eck, now in San Francisco.

Like the Standard Oil Company, the Asiatic Oil Company will specialize, but where the American corporation will handle only fuel oil at its new plant for some time, the foreign corporation will deal in gasoline exclusively. The reason is that the demand in America for gasoline for the past two years has been greater than the supply, and in gasoline the foreign corporation has the only product for which it can find market in America.

The gasoline, refined in Sumatra and said to be the finest in the world, is barred from sale in India by laws prohibiting its use. America, on the other hand, through the growth of the automobile and motor boat industry, offered splendid opportunities. Not more than from 5 to 8 per cent of crude petroleum becomes gasoline on refining, and since the motor car and motor boat became popular the proportion has not been sufficient to supply growing wants.

Receiving Station for Gasoline

The Asiatic Company is building six tanks, which will have a total capacity of 140,000 barrels, and which will become an importing station for the receiving and storing of bulk cargoes of gasoline. Work already is well underway and the tanks will be filled during the coming summer. The tanks will cost $100,000. In their construction 500 tons of steel will be used. Two of the tanks will have a capacity of 37,500 barrels each.

The contract has been let for a dock 250 feet long and for dolphins to accommodate steamships which will moor there and pump gasoline into the tanks on shore. The dock will be completed in May. (Editor - not sure but I think they are talking about drilling rigs made by the Scottish firm Dolphin Drilling Rigs.)

There will also be built a number of tributary stations or depots in Seattle and surrounding cities, which the Wells Point station will supply by means of tank cars, these stations in turn delivering direct to trade.

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World Concern Sudan staff member named CRISTA Employee of the Year

Harun Ringera, CRISTA Employee of the Year

Harun Ringera has seen the World Concern Sudan staff grow from just three people in 2006 to more than 50 today. He has seen traumatized former child soldiers become literate and employable. And starving families not only survive, but learn to grow their own food. Most recently, he has seen the people of Southern Sudan, who have never known life without war, celebrate their independence.

Harun is being honored next week in Seattle as CRISTA Ministries’ Employee of the Year. He will be recognized at a reception on Monday, February 28, at the CRISTA campus, 19303 Fremont Ave N, Shoreline. World Concern is one of CRISTA’s seven ministries.

As program manager, Harun oversees the day to day operations of World Concern’s vocational training, food security, microfinance and economic development programs in Sudan. Although he works 12-hour days and is away from his wife and children in Kenya for two months at a time, Harun said he feels called to work in Sudan.

“My strength is visiting families in their homes, praying with them, and seeing improvements,” he said. If you want to learn to succeed in Southern Sudan and to motivate people, learn to appreciate them, and give them hope.”

A native Kenyan, Harun attended college in Nairobi and will earn his Master’s degree in Development Studies in October. He is the youngest of seven children and the first in his family to be educated beyond primary school.

Harun said he was very excited to learn he had been named Employee of the Year and for his first trip to the U.S. “I thought that World Concern Sudan was not known,” he said. “I felt like David [from the Bible], a shepherd being anointed king.”

--World Concern staff

World Concern, part of CRISTA Ministries, is a Christian humanitarian organization that helps lift people out of poverty through activities including microfinance, agriculture, disaster response and small business development. World Concern works with the poor in 22 countries, with the goal of transforming the lives of those we touch, leading them on a path to self-sustainability. Worldwide, World Concern offers life, opportunity and hope to nearly six million people.

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Seattle Dance Project engages Parkwood Elementary students in performances

By Cindy Tien, SAN Intern

Earlier this month, the Seattle Dance Project presented a performance called Project 4, which showcased works by female choreographers.

Interactive dance matinee

Seattle Dance Project is currently five months into a year-long dance residency with Parkwood Elementary School in Shoreline, as a direct result of a grant awarded to the SDP by the Laird Norton Foundation.

SDP teaching artists have been working closely with Parkwood teachers to integrate dance into their curriculum. At the end of the school year students will stage a performance to showcase what they have learned from each other.

Parkwood students attended a special student matinee performance of Project 4 on February 4. These matinee shows give students the opportunity to be involved with what goes on behind the scenes, see a live dance performance, and get them excited for the performance they will be doing at the end of the school year.

Timothy Lynch and Julie Tobiason talk to students

Artistic directors Timothy Lynch and Julie Tobiason made sure to incorporate student activity and participation throughout the show. Lynch and Tobiason demonstrated different techniques, choreography, and types of dance used before each showing.

SDP teaches students that dance incorporates the use of their human senses such as touch, hearing, and sight. Students were invited on stage to experience the perspective of the dancers from the stage. They were taught about the different lighting effects and how it is incorporated into the dance to enhance the performance.

Seattle Dance Project encourages dance education, as it brings many benefits to students. Arts instruction brings learning enrichment for students, and is intended to add a different element to the core curriculum. It gives students the opportunity to be educated in new ways.

For more information on how to include dance education in class curriculum, email SDP and see the Seattle Dance Project webpage.

Photos courtesy Seattle Dance Project 

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Sports Extravaganza Rummage Sale, Saturday Mar 5

Seattle Select Baseball, a youth baseball club based in Shoreline, will be hosting a sports-oriented rummage sale next Saturday at Showcase Sports in Shoreline.

The club is a nonprofit organization focused on providing high-level training in baseball for young players, age 10-18.  The main purpose of the sale is to raise funds towards sending team members to Cooperstown this summer.

They will gladly accept donations of used sporting equipment of all kinds. Donations can be dropped off at Showcase Sports between Feb 28 and March 4 - 926 N 165th St, Shoreline.

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LFP Police Blotter 1-24 to 30, 2011 - a weird week in LFP

Photo by Steven H. Robinson

by Diane Hettrick - categories are mine - reports are police - who could make this stuff up?

Make sure everyone is out of the building

01-24...145xx Bothell Way, Deja Vu. Alarm trips throughout the building. None of the contact numbers are valid. Female employee fell asleep in locker room, got locked in.

01-27...153xx Bothell Way, business. Two employees in building. One left and set alarm, the second left and set it off.

Scary teenagers

01-24...145xx Bothell Way, Elks. Young couple in car behind Elks. Told police they were studying their chemistry. Suggested they study at the mall.

01-25... NE 187/53 NE. Citizen reported two teenagers on the street. They glared at him as he drove by. He thinks they are casing the area. Police found no teenagers, glaring or otherwise.

01-26...167xx 39 NE. Neighbor saw a car of teenagers coming from vacant house. Police found that house was untouched. Car may have just been turning around in driveway.

01-26...35xx NE 187. Caller saw four teens just standing around.

01-28...174xx 37 NE. Two subjects with vehicle stopped in rear parking lot. Two juveniles dancing in front of the headlights.

Just shoot me

01-25...167xx 33 NE. Man reported two pit bulls that run loose. He's afraid for his little dog and wants to know if he can shoot them. Yes, but only if he is under attack.

We were all worried about you

01-25...36xx NE 155, apartments. Very reliable employee missed work yesterday and today with no contact. Police went into employee's apartment and no one was home but there was no evidence of trouble. Will check with family.

01-27...36xx NE 155. Sister called from California for welfare check on brother who has missed work without contact. Previous welfare check on him. He doesn't like his job so he's not going. Embarrassed to tell his sister.

Somebody's having a good time on your money

01-25...51xx NE 184. 12 charges on bank card in Las Vegas. Victim has not been to Vegas and still has card.

01-27...186xx Ballinger. Charges made on caller's debit card in Georgia.

01-27...26xx NE 195. Jewelry taken from box sometime in last two months.

Would someone like to form a block watch on 45th Pl NE?

01-26...187xx 45 Pl NE. Man at police station, concerned because neighbor's garage door is open and there are no vehicles in front. Police called homeowner. He's home and all is well.

Fire, fire, burning bright

01-26...37xx NE 192. House fire, black billowing smoke. See story.

01-26...37xx NE 192. House fire. Homeowner is at condo at Snoqualmie Pass. No one home, no pets. Son on scene, trying to trace down parents.

Mom needs to stop driving at night

01-26...193xx 35 NE. Elderly woman driving home from birthday party at LFP Grill and drove off roadway into ditch. Son was following and took her home, called tow truck.

Vehicle alarms

01-27...38xx NE 178. Caller hears car alarms going off.

01-30...189xx FP Dr. Car alarm going off, caller thinks someone tried to steal his car. Cops found that passenger door was locked but slightly ajar, which could set off the alarm. Apparently his daughter locked the door but didn't close it completely.

Vehicle theft

01-25...35xx NE 182. Car prowl and attempted theft. Took tools, damaged ignition.

01-29...192xx FP Dr. Motorcycle stolen.

Vehicle accidents

01-26...Bothell Way and 38 NE. Traffic accident.

01-27...178xx Ballinger. Drive train fell off car.

Vehicle wanted

01-27...202xx 37 NE. Caller says there's a woman at her door wanting to use the phone to get a ride.

Burglary

01-28...194xx FP Dr. Burglary.

01-28...192xx 25 NE. Burglary.

Not burglary

01-27...40xx NE 196. Woman got home and door was open. Police checked and all was ok. Could have been her brother.

01-28...Towne Centre, Ross. Under construction. Building left unsecured.

01-28...161xx Bothell Way. Caller says there's a man in neighbor's back yard with a flashlight. Now on the balcony. Police found two people at the residence. One was a guest who was charging a flashlight on the deck. The other was a family member, caretaker of the property.

01-29...42xx NE 203 Pl. Neighbor hears alarm at group home. Doors are open. It was the hot water tank alarm, which was being repaired.

Lost and lonely dogs

01-28...NE 158/32 NE. Puppy got out and got lost.

01-29...NE 195/30 NE. Shoreline police looking for someone racing. Apparently guy was drunk, racing up and down 195th. He went into a ditch, but got out. Told people he was looking for his dog.

01-30...40 Pl NE/NE 197. Barking dog.

Don't hang out here

01-29...36xx NE 155. Guy hanging out by apartments, claimed he just dropped a woman off. Police suggested he leave, so he moved his car, then came back on foot. Still hanging around. Said he might need to give her a ride. Cops said "Are the drugs she's buying for you?" and he said "No, they're for her." And he just wants to go home now. He did leave. Cops unable to locate the woman.

It wasn't even a full moon

01-29...28xx NE 185. Man reports that neighbor and girlfriend threatened to "destroy" him if he dates someone else.

01-30...26xx NE 195. Man said he is being hurt by silent sounds. He had rings inserted in his ears when he was young and now someone is trying to hurt him. Someone is making the rings heat up. He just wants it documented that he called.

01-30...36xx NE 155. Caller complains about loud music from apartment above. When cop arrive all is quiet. From inside the building, they call the complainer and ask if he can still hear the music. Yes, he says, but not so loud. Tenant upstairs said she has been on the computer all evening with no music playing. Says he almost got her evicted. Cops called complainer again and told him they were in the apartment when he claimed loud noises and screaming and there was no noise. He is going to make a complaint to the county.

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