Photo: Christmas cheer by LFP Artist

Photo by Michele Dietzel
Window art by Debbie Thomassi of Lake Forest Park

Photo by Michele Dietzel
Window art by Debbie Thomassi of Lake Forest Park

Garden Essentia in Ballinger Village specializes in art by local artists. So naturally they turned to local talent to decorate their window for Christmas.

The cheerful display was created by Debbie Thomassi of Lake Forest Park.

Niche ranks best school districts in the state - Shoreline makes the top ten

Shoreline Public School District made the top ten list for school districts in the state of Washington from school ranking website Niche.

The best school districts are based on statistics, student and parent reviews, and expert insights.

Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, student and parent reviews, and more.
See how this ranking was calculated.

1 Bellevue School District

2 Bainbridge Island School District

3 Mercer Island School District

4 Lake Washington School District

5 Camas School District

6 Issaquah School District

7 University Place School District

8 Shoreline School District

9 Seattle Public Schools

10 Tahoma School District

Christmas Ship Celebration Dec 8

Christmas ship at Saltwater Park 2013

The Christmas Ship festival is a holiday celebration that has been a Pacific Northwest tradition since 1949. Every year, the Argosy Christmas Ship sails to different Puget Sound waterfront communities, over 45 in total. From the flotilla of boats to the crowds of people who gather onshore, this festival is one of the gems of the Northwest.

The Christmas Ship Celebration at the Richmond Beach Saltwater Park (2021 NW 190th Street) is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8. The evening begins at 7:30pm with music from Sweet Adelines who sing barbershop-style arrangements of songs old and new.

The Christmas Ship, followed by a fleet of Argosy vessels, private yachts, sailboats and other small crafts decked out with holiday lights, will arrive off the Saltwater Park at 8:20pm for a 20-minute performance by the Dickens Carolers. Gather around a roaring bonfire while joyous voices from the choir onboard the ship serenade beach guests. Complimentary cookies will be served and Richmond Beach swag will be available for purchase at the RBCA booth on the beach.

This event is free to attend and jointly sponsored by the City of Shoreline and Richmond Beach Community Association. More information here.

Friday Round Table (12/4): Get Hired! UPS Seasonal and Part-to-Full Time Permanent Positions

Part II of our: “If you really, really want a job, come and get it” events.

Especially if you’re solid with time management and reliability. ALL AGES ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND,

So: Are you or anyone you know --  friend, a son, daughter, niece, or nephew --  looking for a quick extra cash opportunity for the holidays, with the possibility of picking up a permanent part time or full time career?

HR Recruiter, Tiffany Balloun from UPS, Seattle will join us this week to provide details, answer questions, and look over resumes and other application materials. We’ll also walk everyone through the online application process. Package handlers, drivers, and driver helpers are all needed right away! Come by and see if there's a fit for you. Coffee and treats, compliments of Central Market, will be served.

Friday, December 4, 1:00-2:30pm
Shoreline Community College Room 5116, Building 5000 (ground floor)

SCC Campus Map, Parking information. Small fee for daytime parking on campus.

Open to anyone of any age who is job seeking or interested in career change.

Led by Ron Carnell, Program Coordinator, Workforce and Continuing Education / Plus 50 Career Builder, Shoreline Community College, 206-533-6706.

See the Plus 50 Spring Schedule!

Audition Announcement – A Little Night Music

Shoreline Community College Opera Workshop 2016 is proud to present Stephen Sondheim’s enchanting reminiscence of love, relationships, and worlds long forgotten – A Little Night Music.

Winner of three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score, this bewitching musical is truly an operetta in three-quarters time.

Produced by Charles Enlow and directed by 2014 Gregory Award winning director Teresa Thuman, with 5th Avenue and Village Theater conductor Bruce Monroe.

General auditions for this show will be held on December 10, from 3 – 6 pm and December 12, from 10 am – noon in the Shoreline Campus Theater (1600), 16101 Greenwood Ave N. Campus maps.

You can secure an audition time here.

Shoreline Community College’s annual Opera Workshop is a 1-3 credit performance course offered during Winter Quarter. The course will culminate in three performances in the Campus Theater, February 19, 20, and 21, 2016.

In order to participate all cast members must enroll in either Music 154, 155, or 156.


In The Garden Now …. Japanese Fatsia

Japanese Aralia

Text and photo by Victoria Gilleland

You may not be headed for the warmth and sunshine of a tropical paradise this winter, but you could grow this exotic looking plant in your northwest garden. It really does look like an escapee from some equatorial jungle but, it is actually native to southern Japan and South Korea.

Japanese Fatsia sports shiny evergreen leaves. The leaves may measure 16 inches or more at their widest. In fall, showy clusters of white flowers appear above the foliage. Flowers are followed by black berries which are often eaten by the birds.

This plant makes a dramatic addition to the shade garden where it is usually happiest. If grown in too much sun or in windy conditions the foliage will burn or become damaged. Young plants require moisture to look their best. Once established, I’ve found that they are quite drought tolerant and even grow well under tall trees in full shade with little irrigation.

Large containers can provide a good home for Japanese Aralia. However, during a particularly cold winter roots might freeze and the plant could die. If room is available indoors they make good houseplants. You may see them used in commercial settings as potted plants in the courtyards and lobbies of large office buildings.

This time of year I’m thankful for anything that is flowering in my garden. It is a serious bonus when the flowers are large, showy, and followed by berries. Dramatic tropical looking evergreen foliage doesn’t hurt either. This one’s a winner!

(Botanical Name:  Fatsia japonica)

Victoria Gilleland is the owner of Cottage Garden Designs, a Garden Design company specializing in Redesign of Residential Gardens, Garden Consultation and Coaching. She has been designing gardens in the northwest for over 20 years.

Olympic Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker in Edmonds

The Nutcracker in Edmonds Dec 18-20

Celebrating its 35th Anniversary Season, Olympic Ballet Theatre presents its traditional holiday production of The Nutcracker in Edmonds December 18-20.

Beloved by fans of all ages, OBT’s production is presented in an intimate venues, the Edmonds Center for the Arts, where every last detail is easily seen from any seat.

Guest artist Andrei Vassiliev
dances The Prince

New to this year’s production is guest star Andrei Vassiliev, who will dance the role of the Nutcracker prince. A former colleague of OBT Artistic Directors Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev from their time at PNB, Vassiliev has also danced on international stages with the Russian Opera and Ballet Theater, the Hamburg Ballet, Leipzig Ballet, and English National Ballet. He is also the recipient of the first prize at the illustrious Prix de Lausanne ballet competition in 1997.

With a cast of nearly 100, including the animated, aspiring young dancers of Olympic Ballet School, OBT’s production of Clara’s magical dream on Christmas Eve remains a festive family activity to enjoy during the holiday season.

Tickets range from $25-$37.50. All seats are reserved, and are available online or by calling 425-774-7570, or stopping by the OBT box office located in the Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main Street in Edmonds.

First Thursday artists: Jewelry and Garden Stones

Meet December Featured Artists: 

Liz Lyell (Jewelry)

Terri Goodwin (Garden Stones)

December 3 - 4:00 - 8:00pm (open house)

Garden Essentia presents two terrific artists this month. Their one of a kind pieces will be on display in the gallery throughout December.

Work by Liz Lyell

Liz Lyell

Liz Lyell, based in Edmonds, has been making jewelry for many years, and in business full time as PS, NorthWest since 2002. She has store accounts in the greater Seattle area (including 3 years at the Seattle Art Museum), and says about her work, "I have always loved gemstones, wondered about their energies, and making jewelry for me is a way to make this energy available in a small personal form. People have said my jewelry is both rustic and fine ... a combination of earthy, delicate, muted, and shiny, all rolled into one!"

Materials used are semi-precious and precious stones, pearls, Czech limited edition glass, sterling (.925) and fine (.999) silver. All the silver work is hand shaped, forged, and fused. Liz will be bringing an array of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and trinkets (many great gift items). 

Art by Terri Goodwin

Terri Goodwin 

After earning a BA in Design from UCLA, Terri Goodwin spent her early career as a graphic designer for small companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. In 1999, an interest in mosaic led to the desire to make ceramic tile by hand. Current work combines her handmade tiles with concrete to create decorative garden stones, wall hangings and sculpture suitable for the home and garden.

Garden Essentia is located in Ballinger Village, next to Thriftway on Ballinger Way, just east of I-5. 206-453-3920.

Burn bans lifted in Snohomish and Pierce counties - King county spared

In spite of the air inversion that kept the fog close to the ground, King county has escaped a burn ban.

The bans for Snohomish county and Pierce county, which had reached stage 2, have been lifted. The weather is expected to shift soon, removing the concerns and the remaining bans in Puget Sound.

Kenmore street construction

Over the next couple weeks, the construction team will continue working on the south side of SR 522 in Kenmore during the day, including:

    Continuing trenching and installation of utility vaults,
    Continuing retaining wall work near 61st Ave NE, and
    Installing waterlines and fire hydrants.

The construction team plans to complete work on sidewalks along the north side of SR 522 near Bethany Bible Church and Passport Travel by mid-December, depending on weather.

North side of SR 522: The construction team plans to complete work on sidewalks along the north side of SR 522 near Bethany Bible Church and Passport Travel in mid-December, depending on weather.

61st Ave NE: 61st Ave NE remains closed between SR 522 and NE 175th St and is expected to remain closed for approximately four months depending on weather.

    The team will continue installing retaining walls near the 76 Gas Station.
    The Burke-Gilman Trail is currently detoured around the crossing at 61st Ave NE. Check out the detour page on our website for details about the protected Burke-Gilman Trail detour and pedestrian detour around the work at 61st Ave NE.

The project is on schedule to be completed in June 2016.

Thieves steal decorations in LFP and North City

LFP Police released photos of one thief

By Diane Hettrick

Judging by comments on this site and in social media, the Austin family in Lake Forest Park are not the only family to lose their Christmas outdoor decorations to thieves. (Thieves steal Christmas in Lake Forest Park).

At least two other families on their street are missing decorations. One caught the thieves on surveillance camera. Another had an alarm that was triggered but the thieves were gone before he could get outside.

LFP Police released this phone of thieves
The second guy is in the bushes in the background
and has a beard

Reports are coming in from North City as well.

It's starting to look like the same pattern as mail thieves. Cruise down a street, grab and move on. Alarms and cameras don't stop them, although motion detector lights might be a deterrent. One person suggested hotwiring the decorations, but there are many reasons to avoid that method (pets, children).

Let your police department know so they can track the pattern and give them any photos you have of thieves in action. When the police pick them up for other crimes and offenses, they'll have theft to add to the charges.

And if you see suspicious activity on your street, call 911. Police love to catch perps in the act!

Update on hit & run in Edmonds

Vehicle is believed to be a black 2006-2010 Dodge Charger
(this is not the actual vehicle)

As previously reported, a pedestrian was hit on SR 99 in Edmonds Sunday night, just north of the county line. The vehicle was last seen heading toward Shoreline.

Edmonds Police have released photos of evidence left at the scene from the suspect vehicle.

Edmonds Police investigators believe that the vehicle is a Black 2006-2010 Dodge Charger. There should be significant damage to the driver’s side front fender, grill and headlight/fog light area.

The victim has been upgraded to serious condition as of Monday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Edmonds Police or provide an anonymous tip at 425-771-0212 or via their website.

According to unsubstantiated reports on TV news, the woman had stopped her car in a turn lane to scrape the ice off her windshield when she was hit.

Small business: Nomad NW recently opened in Ridgecrest

Nomad NW in the Ridgecrest business district
intersection of NE 165 and 5th NE

Photos by Jerry Pickard

Nomad NW is an artists co-op founded by Elisa Bronstein and Angela Read. They opened for business on September 10th of this year. They are located at 509 NE 165th Street in the Ridgecrest neighborhood.

Co-founders Elisa Bronstein and Angela Read

Elisa Bronstein and Angela Read are the founders of Nomad NW Artists Co-Op composed of local artists. The co-op now has 35+ members, 12 of whom work in the store on a rotating basis.

They offer second hand housewares, gently loved clothing, and crafts by local artists.

Nomad Northwest is an exclusive boutique boasting an inventory of gifts for all occasions, one-of-a-kind home goods and juried local crafts, jewelry and bath selections.

Shopping here is about supporting a hyper-local craft economy and forming a hub of creativity outside of the Greater Seattle area. All art, jewelry, soaps and candles are proudly handcrafted by Pacific Northwest artists.

Hours are generally Wed thru Sat: 11am-7pm and Sun: 9am-5pm, but call ahead to check. Phone 206-659-6934.

Their address is: 509 NE 165th St, Shoreline 98155

E-mail address: info@nomadnw.com

Facebook

Corrected: Co-owner is Angela Read - not Amy. 11-30-2015

Review: Timmy Perlmutter’s Extraordinary Hanukkah AND The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Timmy Perlmutter’s Extraordinary Hanukkah

A One-Act Musical

Book by Carissa Meisner Smit

Music and Lyrics by Paul Lewis

+

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Book By Barbara Robinson

Directed by Andrew Coopman

Play Review by Doug Gochanour

You won’t want to miss this ‘two-for-one’ theatrical experience being presented by the Edmonds Driftwood Players. Each of these plays features a cast of talented young thespians, who act and sing through a delightful laugh-filled production.

Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

Director Andrew Coopman shines in his debut at the Wade James Theatre. He brings the audience glimpses into the holiday traditions of two cultural backgrounds with humorous and rewarding results.

Timmy Perlmutter’s Extraordinary Hanukkah explores one Jewish family’s eventful holiday experience. It includes Grandma Irene’s traditional food and a gift of an oversize knitted sweater for Tim. It continues through the arrival of the wayward Uncle Jerome, who gives Tim a live pony. That seems unreasonable for a home in Edmonds.

Will Tim overcome his feeling of loneliness, and find a new buddy after all? How will this Hanukkah story become extraordinary?

The second family friendly play is based upon Barbara Robinson’s hilarious Christmas Classic, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is about a family in which the mother, Grace Bradley, becomes responsible for the church Christmas pageant.

Stressful as that may be, Grace finds that the notorious Herdman children have joined the pageant and have claimed the leading roles. The Herdman kids have a reputation as the most inventively awful kids in history.

The struggle to create a perfect pageant brings lot of laughs. The situation may have been a bit unconventional, but the resulting pageant turns out to be, just possibly, the best Christmas Pageant ever.

For an evening of fun, bring the family to view the work of this wonderful cast and crew.

Driftwood Players at the Wade James Theatre
950 Main St, Edmonds, WA 98020
425-774-9600
Buy tickets here

Registration is open for WWFHA Girls' Beginner Ice Hockey Classes

Western Washington Female Hockey Association (WWFHA) Girls' Beginner Ice Hockey Program registration for the Winter/Spring 2016 session is now open. 

WWFHA's 12-week beginner program starts January 24 at Highland Ice Arena in Shoreline, and is for girls ages 4 to 12 years old. Classes are every Sunday from 10:15am – 11:15am.

Participants learn to skate and play ice hockey in fun and encouraging sessions. Each session is broken up into (1) Learn to Skate (2) and Learn to Play modules base on USA Hockey's ADM model. 

WWFHA creates a supportive and positive girl-centric environment for learning the skills, techniques, systems and strategies of the female hockey game ... in a fun and entertaining way!

Email for more information or check the website.

Hit & run vehicle headed toward Shoreline

Edmonds police are seeking a black car suspected of hitting a pedestrian on Highway 99 at 236th Street Southwest in Edmonds at 8:35pm Sunday.

The victim, a 49-year-old female, was taken to Harborview Medical Center with a serious head injury.

The suspect vehicle was last seen headed southbound on Highway 99.

Quick Start Shoreline Tuesday: Running a trade show booth

Join the business community for a special Quick-Start “Working Session” on Tuesday, December 1st, 2015 from 12:00 to 1:30pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N for the kickoff of Fall 2015.

Quick-Start Shoreline is presented by Shoreline Community College Small Business Accelerator and the City of Shoreline. These workshops are designed to be helpful for start-up, existing or potential business owners. Sessions are free and open to the public. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch.

Quick-Start Shoreline

Running a trade show booth for maximum value

From local business fairs to international trade shows and conferences there are few better ways to directly connect with potential customers, partners and even future employees than by hosting a trade show booth.

Attend QuickStart Shoreline this Tuesday to discuss tips and tricks to run a tradeshow booth for maximum value. We will discuss:

• Techniques to turn your first conversation into a mini needs analysis meeting complete with an actionable "lead sheet" to make follow-up easier and organized.
• Effective and memorable promotional products so that the visitors to your booth remember you. We will have special guest Judy Smith, a Shoreline business community leader and Solutions Provider for American Solutions for Business to help guide us through the process of picking the most effective promotional products.
• Personal goal setting and strategies for finding the right trade show or conference for your business!

Goal of the Quick-Start Working Sessions

To provide our SCC Business Accelerator Community with access to leading experts and cutting edge business tools that can close the GAP in idea-to-expansion knowledge. These workshops will give start-ups, teams and students a chance to learn practical knowledge, as well as provide hands-on training, and networking opportunities with professionals in various branches of business.

Format of the Quick-Start Working Sessions

Each working session will focus on a single topic. Quick-Start staff and area experts providing key insights and knowledge regarding the topic in a 20 minute lecture format. After the lecture, the attendees will break into working sessions to engage with the topic as it relates to them. We will invite Quick-Start mentors and local entrepreneurs as a resource to the attendees to help answer any questions and think through any problems they may be facing.

Networking will begin at noon.
Lecture will begin at 12:15pm.
The working sessions will be open from 12:35pm to 1:30pm.

Letter to the Editor: Thieves steal Christmas in Lake Forest Park

To the Editor:

My 12 year son decorated the outside of our home for Christmas all by himself this year. Imagine how disappointed he was to discover the three wreaths he’d hung from lights on our garage were stolen this afternoon while we were inside watching the Seahawks' game. Such a selfish act is wrong on so many levels. Along with the wreaths, the thief stole some of the joy and pride my son felt in decorating our home. What a Scrooge! Christmas is a time for giving, not taking.

By the way, this is the third time our wreaths have been stolen in about 10 years. We keep replacing them, in the hopes that such behavior is fairly uncommon. We have not wanted to wire them the house, as the lighting fixtures are fairly delicate and we don’t want them damaged if someone tugs too hard on a wreath. We live on a fairly busy Lake Forest Park street and our garage is only about 30 feet from the street and plainly visible. Someone had to be fairly brazen to steal the wreaths in bright daylight on a nice Sunday afternoon. Now, I’m left with the decision of whether to replace them again - and risk them being stolen - again.

Jennifer Austin

Lake Forest Park

Young Shoreline magician captures medals in Magicians competition

Devin Graupmann, Magician

Devin Graupmann, a member of Shoreline's Ring of Fire Magic Club, brought home two medals from the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians 2015 competition which took place in Chilliwack, Canada.

Devin won medals in "Stage" and "Close-up" magic. You can find Devin performing birthday parties, weddings, and story times at The Magic of Devin Graupmann on Facebook.

Book Review by Aarene Storms: Steelheart

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Ten years ago, Calamity burst in the sky and ordinary human beings were transformed into Epics. Some control the weather. Some can stop bullets. Some can electrically charge entire cities with a touch.  

Sounds like an ordinary teen flying-capes-and-tights superhero novel, right? Except there's a catch: not one of the Epics is a "good guy." There's just something about using their powers that makes Epics selfish, cruel, and power-hungry.

Almost all humans cower before the Epics, except for a group of rag-tag renegades known as the Reckoners. Using technology, ingenuity, and a bit of luck, they fight against the Epics. Eighteen year old David is obsessed with joining the Reckoners. But when he does, he discovers that fighting the Epics is a lot more complicated than he had thought.

Superhero battles with excellent action sequences interspersed with fabulous character development, plenty of humorous banter, plus a touch of doomed romance equals fabulous.

The only thing better than the book is the audiobook read by MacLeod Andrews. This story had me making excuses to drive places so I could listen. First in a series; when volume #2 Firefight was released in January 2015, I was waiting in line.

Recommended for ages 10 to adult.

The events may not have happened; still, the story is true.  --R. Silvern

Aarene Storms, youth services librarian

Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park Libraries, KCLS

Hear the beep where you sleep - smoke alarms

NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code®, requires a smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.

Half of all U.S. home fire deaths occur at night between the hours of 11:00pm and 7:00am, when people are most likely to be sleeping. 

Having a working smoke alarm in the home cuts the risk of dying in a fire in half. These facts underscore the extreme importance of having working smoke alarms in all bedrooms.

Working smoke alarms in the home provide life-saving potential from fire.

Shorewood and Shorecrest runners compete at State Cross-Country Championships

Photo by Corey Rainboth

The 2015 Washington State Cross-Country Championships were held November 7th at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, WA.

Shorewood had two runners competing in the Boys 3A State 5K race and one runner competing in the Girls 3A State 5K race. Their finishes and times are as follows:

·       Boys 3A Race Full Results (142 runners): 

o   Aaron Rainboth [SR] (53rd – 16:29.6)

o   Devan Kirk [JR] (80th – 16:46.1)

Photo by Corey Rainboth

·       Girls 3A Race Full Results (140 runners): 

o   Rachel Hansen [JR] (58th – 19:59.9)

Shorecrest had one runner competing in the Boys 2A State 5K race and two runners competing in the Girls 2A State 5K race. Their finishes and times are as follows:

·       Boys 2A Race Full Results (138 runners): 

o   Macauley Franks [JR] (70th – 17:07.4)

·       Girls 2A Race Full Results (140 runners): 

o   Lillian Visser [FR] (8th – 19:17.8)

o   Lauren Block [FR] (27th – 20:02.0)

Photo: Kenmore Marina

Kenmore marina as seen from Logboom Park
Photo by Jerry Pickard

Kenmore Marina on Lake Washington, just north of Lake Forest Park, makes a picturesque scene in the bright sunshine.

Using humor to reduce holiday stress - Dec 7 in Kenmore

The Kenmore Library is offering a free program on Using Humor to Reduce Holiday Stress, part of the Mind Matters series.

Using Humor to Reduce Holiday Stress

Humor can be a powerful tool for relaxation and reducing stress. Learn basic techniques to help calm you during the holidays. Registration preferred, but not required.

Kenmore Library, 6531 NE 181st Street
Monday, December 7, 2015, 7:00pm
425-486-8747

Washington Wild players train at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park

Western Washington Female Hockey Association (WWFHA)'s Washington Wild 19u rep team players went to Richmond Beach Saltwater Park on Friday for an off-ice training session on a cold and sunny day.

Players usually practice on the ice at Highland Ice Arena but took this opportunity to get out in the sunshine.

The Wild is currently ranked 12th in the nation for USA Hockey Tier 2/AA teams. More information at their website.

Letter to the Editor: The certainty of a fool

To the Editor:

In November 2012 after months of public relations, the city succeeded in convincing the citizens of Shoreline to create their own utility destiny.

The ballot measure to acquire SPU was roundly approved by a 70 percent margin. At that time, Art Maronek, Tom Jamieson, and myself headed the campaign in opposition. What was obvious then is what has come to pass.

The Seattle City Council never agreed to the acquisition, and as Art demonstrated from a review of facts he had spent a lifetime learning as head of the Seattle water department, the price was nowhere near accurate.

With the certainty of fools, our city officials believed the myths they had created and convinced our citizens a bright future awaited. This failed acquisition was central to the city plan to take over Ronald Wastewater. Our sewer rate has risen 8 percent since the city gained control of the wastewater commission.

Consolidation of utilities under city control requires combining sewer, water, and storm water to be financially feasible. The storm water systems in our city are a disaster. No one in the city administration knows what needs to be replaced and what the costs will be. Rate payers beware. Fools are defined by their refusal to listen or learn.

The city continues to spread spin by public relations. Rezones are the latest attempt to create a brave new Shoreline.

Like the Wizard of Oz, don't look behind the curtain. Everything has a cost and reality awaits.

My friends Art and Tom are no longer with us. Thank you both for telling the truth.

John Behrens
Shoreline

Power of One chosen as Best Volunteer Program of the Year

Mr. T volunteering at Echo Lake Elementary
Photo by Martha Nichols

Power of One Volunteers has been chosen as Best Volunteer Program of the Year by the North Urban Human Services Alliance.

The award will be presented at NUHSA's Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, December 8. 5:30-7:00pm at Shoreline City Hall.

The Power of One Volunteer program works to match people from the community with volunteer opportunities in Shoreline Public Schools. Power of One Volunteers bring their time, talents and expertise to classrooms from preschool to high school.

Ways to volunteer include:

• One-on-One Tutoring or Mentoring
• Leading Small Groups
• Helping with Classroom Lessons and Projects
• Providing Support in Libraries
• Tutoring with After-school Programs

Learn more at their website

SCC’s Steve Kim awarded Evergreen State College Teacher Excellence Award

Steve Kim

Steve Kim, associate faculty in the music department at Shoreline Community College, is a recipient of The Evergreen State College 2015-16 Teacher Excellence Award.

The award honors instructors who “have had a significant impact on the lives of students.”

Kim was nominated by a student who wrote, “This is the type of teacher where the first row in class is always full with students who got there twenty minutes before class starts. In fact, his greatest gift is bringing real interest and fun to learning, what at times can be complex and frustrating material.”

Steve Kim is associate faculty in the music department at Shoreline Community College, and teaches privately through South Seattle Community College. In addition, he has taught at Pacific Lutheran University, The National Guitar Workshop, The Experience Music Project, and the Roberts Music Institute.

Kim plays bass and electric bass and teaches Jazz Improvisation and Jazz Ensembles classes.

Kim currently appears with guitarist Don Mock and percussionist Jacques Willis playing original music and jazz repertoire. He has also toured and performed with Larry Coryell, Alphonse Mouzon, Carter Jefferson, Dave Valentine, Jay Thomas and Scott Cossu.

He has been commissioned to compose for the Southern Arts Council, the Seattle Arts Commission, choreographers Bill Evans, Clay Talefero and Jeff Bickford, and northwest filmmaker Eric Patton.

In 1987 Steve served as a cultural ambassador representing the City of Seattle in Japan, and in 1989 was honored as a Centennial Artist during the Washington State Centennial Celebration. In 2007 he returned to Japan, touring with guitarist Brian Nova and Vibraphonist Kiyoko Ami. He has studied bass with Ray Brown, Gary Peacock and composition / improvisation with the late Charlie Banacos.

Aurora Corridor nears completion - celebration Dec 5

New trees planted in the median
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline

Completion of the Aurora Corridor project is not far off. You are invited, Saturday, December 5, 2015, to come and help celebrate the entire three miles of improvements. The celebration is at City Hall, beginning at 9:30am with a program commencing at 10:00am.

Crosswalk being poured at 205th
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline

Roadway Work underway now

Crosswalk construction is underway at N 205th Street with removal of pavement and pouring red concrete in its place. The work will be ongoing for the next two weeks, weather permitting. Construction will be ongoing for the new gateway sign at the southwest corner of N 205th Street and Aurora.  Landscaping will continue in various areas (median and on the sides).  

Traffic will be shifted according to the areas of work. One lane may be closed in each direction during non-commute hours to accommodate the work.  Drivers are urged to follow posted speed limits, drive carefully, and use caution through the area.

Transit routes leaving the Aurora Transit Center have changed during construction. Please visit Community Transit for the latest details. Community Transit can be reached at 425-353-RIDE (7433).

Shoreline Council regular meeting Monday

Shoreline City Council
Monday, November 30, 2015 – Regular Meeting 7:00pm
Shoreline City Hall Council Chambers, 17500 Midvale Ave N.

Agenda Highlights

• Approval of an Interlocal Funding Agreement with King County for LiDAR Acquisition
• This is a cost sharing among 30 jurisdictions to identify historic slide-prone hillsides.

From Wikipedia: Lidar (also written LIDAR, LiDAR or LADAR) is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analyzing the reflected light. Although thought by some to be an acronym of Light Detection And Ranging, the term lidar was actually created as a portmanteau of "light" and "radar".

• Discussion of Ord. Nos. 732 and 733 – Amendments to Title 12 Streets, Sidewalks and Public Spaces
• Discussion and Update of Jail Services Contracts
• Discussion and Update of Metro Long Range Plan

Comment on Agenda items

Bestselling authors at Third Place Books Wednesday and Thursday

Crime and immigrants next week at Third Place Books, upper level Town Center, intersection of Ballinger Way and Bothell Way, Lake Forest Park.

Robert Crais
The Promise (Putnam)
Wednesday, December 2 at 7pm
Master crime fiction writer Crais delivers another winner. Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are joined by Suspect heroes LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his German shepherd, Maggie, in the new heart-stopping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author.

Kristina McMorris
The Edge of Lost (Kensington)
Thursday, December 3 at 7pm
From bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes an ambitious and heartrending story of immigrants, deception, and second chances. Skillfully weaving two stories, Kristina McMorris delivers a compelling novel that moves from Ireland to New York to San Francisco Bay.

Shorewood, Shorecrest runners in State Championships

District 1 Cross-Country Championships that were held October 31 at South Whidbey High School in Langley, WA. Both Shorewood and Shorecrest had state qualifiers as a result of performances in those meets. These State Qualifiers ran on Saturday Nov 7 at the 3A or 2A Washington State Cross-Country Championships at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, WA.

Here is a link to the results of the District 1 Championships

Shorewood competed in the 3A District 1 5K races with the Boys team placing 7th of 13 (Top 3 qualify) and the Girls team placing 6th of 11 (Top 3 qualify). Neither team qualified for State. However, Shorewood placed three runners individually in the Top 15 which qualified these athletes for the 3A State Meet:

• Boys – Aaron Rainboth [SR] (10th – 16:55.87), Devan Kirk [JR] (11th – 16:57.68)
• Girls – Rachel Hansen [JR] (8th – 20:02.41).

Shorecrest competed in the 2A District 1 5K races with the Boys team placing 5th of 13 (Top 3 qualify) and the Girls team placing 6th of 11 (Top 4 qualify). Neither team qualified for State. However, Shorecrest placed three runners individually in the Boys Top 15 or the Girls Top 20 which qualified these athletes for the 2A State Meet

• Boys – Macauley Franks [JR] (15th – 17:14.93)
• Girls – Lillian Visser [FR] (9th – 20:44.28), Lauren Block [FR] (11th – 20:56.55).

-Corey Rainboth

Photo: Sunset at Richmond Beach

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Just as the sun went down, Lee Lageschulte got this shot with the rosy glow of the setting sun over the dark blue of the Olympic range and the textured waters of Puget Sound.

Wrestling Rhinos battle in Anacortes

Young wrestlers hit the mat at the Anacortes Hawkeyes Tournament Nov 15.
Photo by Sean Rhodes

As the weather gets colder and the days get darker, the Wrestling Rhino Club knows that a new season of epic mat battles has arrived.

On November 15, 2015 the Shoreline Clan and Edmonds Clan of the Wrestling Rhinos Club united and sent their young mat warriors on a quest to wrestle against the fierce Anacortes Hawkeyes (and several other youth wrestling clubs).

The weekend event featured two contests; the WWKWL – Novice tournament and the Open – USA Tournament.

Although maybe not quite as intense as the historic battle between the Greeks and the Persians in the Trojan War, these little wrestlers did show a lot of heart. By the time the dust settled on the WWKWL Event, the Rhinos Team score was 10 points, enough to score 7th place out of 15 wrestling clubs.

The Rhinos who placed at this tournament include:

Travis Gardner, 1st Place – Bantam (ages 6-7) 52-53lbs.
Sunny Mejia, 1st Place – Bantam 63-66lbs.
Tom Gardner, 1st Place – Intermediate (ages 8-9) 63-64lbs
Brenden Still, 1st Place – Intermediate 72-78lbs
Grafton Marshall Imman, 2nd Place – Bantam 46-48lbs
Mason Collins, 2nd Place – Pee Wee (ages 4-5) 46-48lbs.

Thomas Rhodes attempts to intimidate highly ranked Lars Michaelson of the NWWC Club in Bremerton. Rhodes lost the match 11-1.

Photo by Sean Rhodes.

The team score for the Rhinos at the USA – Open Tournament was 7 points, which put them at 8th Place out of 19 teams. The Rhino placers at the Open Tournament include:

Thomas Rhodes, 2nd Place – Novice (ages 10-11) 75lbs
Peter Grimm, 1st Place – Intermediate (ages 8-9) 95-103lbs
Reed Nagel, 2nd Place – Intermediate 60lbs
Nolan Valdivia, 2nd Place – Intermediate 80-83lbs

Overall, the Rhinos felt good about their first tournament of the season and look forward to other upcoming events.

-- Written by Sean Rhodes, proud wrestling dad and Lake Forest Park resident.

LFP City Council Dec 10 Public Hearing on Comprehensive Plan Update

A new draft of the City of Lake Forest Park Comprehensive Plan update is now available electronically for public review via the City’s website.

This new draft incorporates changes to the update made by the City Council during its deliberations this fall and is comprised of three parts:

1. Volume 1, Goals and Policies
2. Volume 2, Background Analysis
3. Volume 3, Appendix.

Another opportunity for the community to comment and provide feedback is scheduled at the City Council public hearing on Thursday, December 10, 2015, 7:00pm, at Lake Forest Park City Hall, 17425 Ballinger Way NE.

Your participation is encouraged.

Death notices as of November 21, 2015

Obituaries are condensed biographies of people's lives, written by the people who loved them. Like a memorial service, they tell us things we may not have known about the person, and may leave us wishing we had known them better.

Obituaries from The Seattle Times

Dwight Coil  1937-2015  Taught 30 years in the Shoreline School District and retired to Loon Lake, Washington.

Elenor Loarie Schoen  1916-2015  When her husband died in 1997 she moved to Shoreline to live with her daughters. A freelance author, she was still being published up to 5 years ago. She was also a dedicated volunteer: initiating a Catholic high school's parent organization and vocational guidance counseling in Leavenworth, testifying in favor of desegregating a local Kansas swimming pool, running a church resettlement program in Lakewood, teaching religious education, and serving on the parish council there, and providing homes and resources for women in crisis pregnancies." Mass at St Mark in Shoreline.

Lori Ann Lowell  Age 57  Grew up in Lake Forest Park and graduated from Shorecrest High School in 1976. Avid world traveller.

Linda Lee Arnold  1944-2015  Active member of Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church where services were held.

Catherine Bradford  1950-2015  Raised in Richmond Beach / Shoreline, she graduated from Shoreline High School in 1968. Worked as a checker at QFC for many years, then joined her mother in the travel business.

Michael McLean  graduated from Shorecrest High School.

Sharon Kay Wong  1950-2015  Worked ten years for the City of Shoreline.

Keith Kellogg  Graduated from Shoreline High School.

Peggy Louise Michajla  1923-2015  Raised her family in Shoreline and spent 16 years working at the Aurora Village Nordstrom.

Daniel Everett Zeufeldt  1964-2015  Services at Berean Bible Church in Shoreline.

Linda Irene Tynes  Services at First Lutheran Church in Shoreline.

M. Sean Linton Echelbarger  1969-2015  Donations suggested to The Evergreen School in Shoreline.

Virginia Neumaier  1921-2015  She was Bob Dylan's Sunday school teacher, a lifelong Democrat, friend to both Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale and a past-president of Minnesota's League of Women Voters.

Elinor Anita Brydges  1926-2015  She and her husband were 40 year members of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Shoreline. She worked many years at the Edmonds Public Library. In 2006 she moved to Arizona to be near her son.

Konny Ruth Carlson  1945-2015  Lived most of her life in Lake Forest Park. She spent "32 wonderful years" working for the Shoreline School District as a bus driver.

Shirley Wilson Taylor  1926-2015  Services held at Shoreline Free Methodist Church.

Howard Fujio Inouye  1930-2015  Services held at Aurora Church of the Nazarene.

 

Small business: Garden Essentia

Garden Essentia is located in Ballinger Village
on Ballinger Way, just east of I-5

Photos by Jerry Pickard

Colette Highberger and Michele Dietzel have been best friends since age fourteen, so it was only natural that they start a business together as adults. That business is Garden Essentia.

Reader Lorelei Begalka nominated Garden Essentia as her favorite small business.

I  do my shopping locally at Garden Essentia. Collette has such a variety of locally made items to be purchased as gifts or for myself! I rarely enter her shop without buying!! If you want the unusual gift, go to Garden Essentia on Ballinger in the shopping center! This store is wonderful!!

They feature unique gifts and accessories for the home and garden.

Their Art Gallery features works by local artists. 

They hold classes and workshops on gardening and art and do landscape design and consultation.

Garden Essentia is located next to Thriftway in the Ballinger Village Shopping Center at 20152 Ballinger Way NE, Shoreline 98155. Phone numbers 206-453-3920 and 206-714-6547, email.

Kenmore tree lighting festival Dec 4

Free photos with Santa at Kenmore Camera

The City of Kenmore’s Tree Lighting Festival on Friday, December 4 is scheduled from 6:00 to 8:30pm at Kenmore City Hall and Kenmore Camera.

Welcome Santa to Kenmore with an exciting countdown during the lighting of the tree at 6:30pm and enjoy free activities throughout the evening. Attendees are encouraged to donate nonperishable food and stuffed animals to support local families in need this holiday season. Food and stuffed animal drop boxes will be located at both event facilities. You can also donate tree ornaments for the City Hall lobby tree.

Kenmore City Hall, 18120 68th  Ave NE, 6:00 – 8:00pm.
Santa arrives with lighting of the tree at 6:30pm. There will be an Entertainment Stage, and free family activities - Arts & Crafts, Holiday Cookie Decorating, Carousel Bouncy House,  and Face Painting.

Kenmore Camera, 6708 NE 181st Street,  6:30 – 8:30pm.
Santa's toy box play area, Santa’s Workshop – Arts and Crafts, Free Santa Photos (6:45 – 8:30pm).

Food and drinks for sale: Bread and Butter food truck (sandwiches, smoked brisket, more) and Verita's Coffee Company (espresso drinks, hot chocolate, more).

Parking is available on-site and at Kenmore Village.