Coffee with Constituents: Shoreline Councilmember Winstead

Shoreline Councilmember Shari Winstead. Photo by Jan Hansen.

Shoreline Councilmember Shari Winstead had Coffee with Constituents on Saturday, January 29, at the Market Cafe in Top Foods.

A small but lively group kept animated conversations going for two hours, offering opinions, concerns, and peppering Councilmember Winstead with questions.

One participant was very concerned about prostitution involving young children and wondered how police in Shoreline treat the young ones when they are picked up. "Do they go back to their families?" she wondered. "That's probably why they were on the streets to begin with."

Economic development on Aurora was a big topic, ending in participants musing about whether they buy locally first and support Shoreline businesses. Aurora Square came in for a lot of speculation and ideas for redevelopment.

Winstead said that the Council is starting to think about the neighborhood business centers and the places already in existence, which people can reach easily by foot or bike, and how to help those existing businesses thrive.

The Councilmember said she would continue to have Coffees.

"I learned so much about what Shoreline citizens care about when I was doorbelling. I want to keep listening to people to find out what is important to them."