Classifieds: Ronald Commissioners Special Meeting

Public Notice

Ronald Wastewater District

Notice of Special Meeting of the Board of Commissioners

June 7, 2017, 2:00pm

Meeting will be held at the District Headquarters

17505 Linden Avenue North, Shoreline, WA

Agenda

1. Public Comment:  3 min for public,
           5 min for agency representative
2. Executive Session:  Legal:  RCW 42.30.110 (l)(i)
        – possible action to follow
3. Conclusion

AmeriCorps summer employment may lead to careers

Fuel Your Future Summer Meals Team

June 20, 2017 to August 26, 2017

Why Summer Meals? Each year, thousands of families struggle to keep food on the table and kids engaged while school is out. That’s why United Way deploys Fuel Your Future Summer Meals members to work with civic and nonprofit leaders to provide high-quality meals and educational programming for youth at high-poverty sites in their community.

Launch a nonprofit career with a summer of service. The Summer Meals team is a fantastic career building opportunity for students or recent grads to receive training and professional development, a $1,222 monthly stipend, and a $1,194.71 AmeriCorps Education Award for student loans or future education.

Our summer corps members also receive top priority for our long term positions focusing on nutrition access and education, financial empowerment and stability and ending homelessness beginning this fall.

We urge interested candidates to apply as soon as possible, as we are reviewing applications and scheduling interviews on a rolling basis.

More information on  Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Click here to apply!

Deadline: Apply by 6/5 for Crafts Day at the LFP Farmers Market

The deadline is fast approaching for crafters and artists interested in participating in Crafts Day at the Lake Forest Park Farmers Market.

Washington artists and crafters of every kind are encouraged to apply to show their wares at this popular annual event that regularly welcomes 7000-9000 shoppers per market day.

The regular LFP Farmers Market takes place every Sunday from 10am - 3pm at LFP Town Center, and Crafts Day will take place on Sunday, July 16th.

More information is available on the Third Place Commons website and you can download the application here.

Only complete applications will be considered and all applications must be received no later than Monday, June 5th.

We Can't Stop The Beat: 40 Years of Tony Awards with Choir of the Sound

Choir of the Sound caps off its 40th anniversary season, showcasing hits from the past forty years of Tony Award-winning musicals in a star-studded show featuring songs from Annie, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, and more!

Join us for a toe-tapping show that will leave you dancing in the aisles!

• Saturday, June 3, 2017  3pm and 7pm
• Sunday, June 4, 2017  3pm

Shorecrest Performing Arts Center, 15343 25th Ave NE, Shoreline 98155.

Tickets are available at the door.

• General $20, children (12 and under) $10.
• Seniors and Young Adults (under 30) $18 (advance tickets only - available online).

Find out more information here and hear some of their previous performances.

Vivaldi's Gloria at Richmond Beach Congregation UCC Sunday

You are invited to Pentecost Sunday Worship at Richmond Beach Congregational United Church of Christ as choir and musicians present Vivaldi's Gloria. 1512 NW 195th St, Shoreline 98177.

Pediatric dental office opens in Ballinger Village

Tree House Dentistry for Kids is a new pediatric dental office located in Shoreline. We just opened our doors at the end of December 2016 and are very excited to become a part of the Shoreline community.

Our office is geared towards kids! Our Kid’s corner at reception always has a movie playing, and it’s filled with lots of unique books and toys.

If you become a member of our “No Cavity Club”, we’ll take your picture and hang it up on the wall. Our patients enjoy drawing us pictures and making us “thank-you cards”, which we also proudly display.

We try to make dentistry less intimidating (dare we say, fun!) for kids (and for parents).

TV on the ceiling!

During dental treatment, your child can enjoy watching a movie or show, from ceiling-mounted TVs. 

We have found that this type of “distraction” really helps keep patients preoccupied. 

Most of our patients don’t want to leave when their treatment is done!

We understand that not every child can be treated the same way. Some patients may have unique needs, due to health or medical restrictions, or phobias.

We’ll work with parents and kids, as a team to try to come up with different solutions to make dentistry a non-traumatic experience.

This could mean treatment with sedation, general anesthesia, or multiple “desensitizing” visits. Whichever the course of treatment, we’re here to help!

The following is our Mission Statement:

At Tree House Dentistry for Kids, our goal is to provide optimal oral care for children and adolescents, in a fun and relaxing environment.

We will promise the following:

• We will always put the best interest of the child, first.
• We will provide a comprehensive and ethical diagnosis and treatment plan for each patient.
• We will work with parents and children to develop strategies to improve oral hygiene at home.
• We will provide adequate referrals for necessary treatment that is beyond the scope of our practice.

Our motto, at Tree House Dentistry for Kids is “small teeth, big smiles!” 

Drs. Mike and Jane Austin

The practice owners, Drs. Mike and Jane Austin, have been planning this joint venture for many years and feel so fortunate to be able to work with kids every day.

Dr. Mike is a Board-certified Pediatric dentist, and is dual-trained in Dental Anesthesiology.

Dr. Jane’s background is in general dentistry, with hospital-based, accredited training in Dental Anesthesiology.

For more information, including full doctors’ bios, please visit our website at www.THsmiles.com. We’re also on Facebook.com/treehousdentistryforkids.

The office is located at 20214 Ballinger Way NE, Shoreline, WA, in the Ballinger Village, next to 24 Hour Fitness.

We look forward to meeting more families and are excited to be a part of such a great community!

CORRECTION: City Council candidate Susan Chang

Susan CHANG

In the candidate announcement published yesterday for Susan Chang, the caption under her photo erroneously spelled her name as "Change".

The article has been corrected.

Our apologies to the candidate!

2017 Property Valuation Notices are in the mail: values continue to rise

The King County Assessor’s Office has begun the annual process of mailing valuation notices to over 700,000 property owners. Notices will continue arriving to property owners through September.

In most areas of the county, property values are up again this year. Locally, West Central Shoreline – 16.5% and Lake Forest Park / Kenmore – 11.4%

Higher valuations, however, do not necessarily translate into higher property taxes, said Assessor John Wilson.

“Most people don’t realize that the fluctuating value of your property has less to do with changes in your tax bill than do measures approved by voters,” said Wilson. 

“Decisions made by voters, in terms of approving special levies; and by elected officials in terms of adopting budgets, determine the total amount of tax to be collected in your area; the value of your property determines your share of that total amount.”

Wilson continues to encourage property owners to sign up to receive their annual property valuation notice via email instead of through the USPS. This electronic valuation notice program is convenient for property owners, will save money for the Department of Assessments, and is environmentally friendly.

Sign up here - click on the Go Paperless window for details. Paperless notifications saves taxpayer dollars in staff time, materials and postage.

Property owners who believe their assessment may be incorrect, can appeal to the Board of Equalization (BOE). This must be done within 60 days of receipt of the 2017 valuation notice. 

Details are available here. The BOE is here.

State law requires each county assessor to revalue property annually, and to conduct an on-site physical inspection of each property at least once every six years. Property values are determined by certified appraisers who assess property based on comparable sales, various attributes of a particular property, and/or income generated by the property.

For more information, contact: Bailey Stober, Assessor’s Office, 206-263-2271,

Summertime Music Series at Third Place Commons starts Friday

Third Place Commons is delighted to announce the start of a new music series, the Sounds of the Season, taking place on the first Friday of every month from June through September.

Summertime is the season of backyard barbecues, fireworks, road trips, and sunny days. And what could be a better soundtrack for all of that than the folk, country, and Americana that four fantastic bands will bring to the Commons all summer long?

The Sounds of the Season series kicks off this Friday, June 2nd with Weiswald. Moody, gorgeous, and infused with cool, this is where Americana goes after dark. A little Tom Waits, a little Leonard Cohen, and whole lot of awesome, Weiswald offers up modern, cross-genre Americana for the ages.

Later in the summer, look for Cosmo’s Dream on July 7th, the return of the popular Joy Mills Band on August 4th, and a rare appearance by our favorite hometown hero (and our recent breakfast speaker), Ian McFeron and his band on September 1st.

Third Place Commons offers free, live music every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30pm as well as hundreds of other free events throughout the year. Check the online calendar for the full schedule.

Third Place Commons is a community-supported, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to creating real community in real space. It is located at 17171 Bothell Way NE in Lake Forest Park Town Center.

Susan Chang announces for Shoreline City Council

Susan Chang, candidate for Shoreline City Council

City of Shoreline Planning Commissioner Susan Chang has announced that she is running for election to the Shoreline City Council, Position 5.

She has been active in her community, including serving on the Board of the Richmond Beach Community Association and Richmond Beach Advocates. 

In her professional life, Susan supervises a team of engineers that reviews building permit applications for conformance with the Environmentally Critical Areas Code and the Building Code for the City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections.

She is a licensed civil engineer with a Ph.D. in geotechnical earthquake engineering.

She is running for City Council to preserve and enhance what many residents love about our city. Her focus will be on the basics of city government including:

• A sustainable, balanced City budget
• Acquisition of new land for parks and maintenance of existing parks
• Safe neighborhoods with exemplary police and fire protection
• Pedestrian safety, including sidewalks and bike lanes 
• Economic development, growth and traffic issues

You can find more information about Susan at her webpage. Please join her to kick off her campaign on Saturday, June 10, from 3pm to 5pm at Spiro’s Pizza and Pasta, 18411 Aurora Ave N. All are welcome!

Help charity through chalk art June 4

Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, 2021 NW 190th St, Shoreline 98177, on June 4 from 1-4pm.

Calling all community members to help fight the prevalence of heart disease in the United States. 

Shorewood High School’s new Creating Change Club is hosting an event called “Chalk for Change” to raise awareness for the American Heart Association.

“We just wanted to get people to realize the importance of keeping up to date with issues in health” says Athena Pentcholov, co-president of the club. “By hosting our event we are raising money and awareness for the American Heart Association and all its efforts.”

On June 4th from 1 to 4pm, Creating Change will be hosting their event at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. Activities include a bake sale and drawing on the sidewalks with chalk.

Displays about the American Heart Association as well as donation boxes will offer information on how to help promote further activism for heart issues.

All community members are welcome, and children are especially encouraged to come for the summer activities.

For more information on the upcoming event, visit Creating Change Club’s Facebook, Instagram @creatingchangeclub, or website

Join the free workout group

Did you know there is a great group here in Shoreline that works out together on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6am for 45 minutes near the Spartan Rec Center?

Whether you are a beginner or have been working out for awhile, come check us out.

IT IS A NO COST GROUP. We are self-led and we focus more on HIIT AND TABATA STYLE workouts.

I have been faithfully working out with this group for over a year and it has done amazing things to my STRENGTH, ENDURANCE AND HEALTH. I have my blood work to prove it! :)

Have questions? PM me from our Facebook page - Shoreline Sweats!

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) were on full display at Shoreline Community College

From bugs to robots - the STEM Fest had it all

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) were on full display at Shoreline Community College on Saturday, May 20, at the fifth annual Shoreline STEM Festival and Science Fair.

SCC was packed with young scientists, family members, educators, STEM professionals and robotics teams on a voyage of exploration and inquiry with science fair projects, hands on activities, demonstrations, science bowl trivia and more! Science fair participants received free t-shirts featuring a winning brainy design by Ridgecrest student Ameli Graff. 

Syre Elementary and Meridian Park Elementary received the award of School of STEM Excellence for having the greatest number of student science fair projects.

Proud parents with one of the exhibitors

The following students won awards for their science fair projects:

Scientific Investigation

• Cora Acevedo Seaman - Cascade K-8 
• Ernesto Acevedo Seaman - Cascade K-8
• Tyler McMaster - Echo Lake
• Samanvitha Kaushik - Evergreen Middle School
• Marieka S. and Ben A. - Highland Terrace
• Natalia Martin - Highland Terrace
• Chloe W. - Home School
• Lindsey Muilenburg - Lake Forest Park
• Max Oshiro - Lake Forest Park
• Katherine Haycox - Meridian Park
• Zoe Kelton - Meridian Park
• Ameli Graff and Meira Graff - Ridgecrest
• Edward Hensel - Syre
• Kathlyn Mai -Syre
• Koa Hensel -Syre
• Max Reed -Syre
• Wyatt Hoverter -Syre 

Computer Invention/Design

• Caleb W. - Home School 
• Claris W. - Home School 
• Nova Bray Saunders - Meridian Park 
• Amy Walston - Syre 

Engineering Invention/Design

• Cleah W. - Home School 
• Kirill Huizenga - Meridian Park 

Scientific Display

• Arsema Habtemariam and Misgana Kiflom - Meridian Park 
• Allegra Watson and Millie Wang - Ridgecrest 

Running the robots through their paces

Robotic Teams

Hosted by FRC Team 3070, our own Shoreline high schools Team Pronto, the following FIRST Robotics teams came to compete for bragging rights and show off their robots:

• FRC Team 4911- CyberKnights, Kings High School, Shoreline 
• FRC Team 2605 - Seahome Seamonsters - Seahome High School 
• FRC Team 1294 - Top Gun, Eastlake High School, Sammamish 
• FRC Team 4077 - M*A*S*H, Edmonds Woodway High School 
• FRC Team 2928 - Vikings, Ballard High School, Seattle 
• FRC Team 1778 - Chill Out!, Mountlake Terrace High School 
• FRC Team 488 XBOT - Franklin High School, Seattle 
• FIRST Lego League (FLL) Team #23759, Kawaii Space Kittens - Shoreline and Bothell 

It was an all-age venue

Shoreline STEM, the non-profit organization that hosts the festival, would like to offer special thanks to the Shoreline School District, our many generous sponsors, student participants and their parents and teachers, STEM career exhibitors, and our amazing volunteers from Shorewood Science Olympiad, Team Pronto, Shorecrest and Shorewood High Schools and the community at large. 

Shoreline Community College helps make the festival possible each year by donating extensive logistic and material support through their print shop, facilities, and parking the day of the event.

Stay informed about fun STEM opportunities year-round by liking our page on Facebook or following us on Twitter.

Help us make the 2018 festival the best one yet! Contact Shoreline STEM through our website or email with suggestions or to get on our list of volunteers.

Memorial Day at Acacia

Text and photos by Jerry Pickard

On Monday, May 29, 2017, Acacia Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Lake Forest Park held its annual Veterans Memorial services.

There were prayers and speakers. White doves were released.

Kenmore Pipe and District Band played.

J. Vince Larkin, General Manager of Acacia gave the opening remarks. Interfaith Chaplain Trudy James gave both the Invocation and the Benediction.

Chaplain Colonel Olen Crowe,  U.S. Air Force Volunteer Reserve Chief of Chaplains, 10th Regional Command, USV-JSC gave the Memorial Day address.

The American Legion Post 227 of Shoreline placed a flag on the grave of World War II Medal Of Honor recipient Robert Earl Bonney.

Boy Scouts of Lake Forest Park Troop #348 posted the flag during the ceremony. They provided flags for the graves and for participants. After the ceremony, they gave away hot dogs and lemonade.

Girl Scouts of Western Washington Troop #42216 helped through the weekend.

Letter to the Editor: be sure to attend the Opiate Crisis Forum June 7

To the Editor:

I am writing to encourage my fellow Shoreline / Lake Forest Park neighbors to be sure to attend the Opiate Crisis Forum 7:00pm at Third Place Commons on Wednesday June 7th.

The LFP Municipal Court is hosting an outstanding panel to help us understand the nature of the crisis and what we can do about it.

This is not something happening elsewhere! It affects us -- right here in our towns. Pain-killing opiates -- widely prescribed -- are too often the first step on the path to addiction.

Anne Stadler
Lake Forest Park

Don't miss SIFF @ Shoreline - Films through Saturday

The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) run at Shoreline Community College Theater continues through this Saturday, June 3. See the remaining schedule and purchase tickets here 

Wednesday, May 31

6:30pm – PYROMANIAC
Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjærg (INSOMNIA) returns with a slow-burn psychological thriller based on the true story of a fire chief’s son of who terrorizes his rural community with a series of increasingly dangerous fires over the course of a long, hot summer.

8:45pm – 150 MILLIGRAMS
Emmanuelle Bercot’s powerful social-justice drama is a French ERIN BROCKOVICH story about Dr. Irène Frachon (Sidse Babett Knudsen), who discovers that a state-approved medication has caused suspicious deaths, leading her on a one-woman crusade to reveal the truth.

Thursday, June 1

6:30pm – BECOMING WHO I WAS
After a Buddhist boy in the highlands of northern India discovers that he is the reincarnation of a centuries-old Tibetan monk, his aging godfather takes him on a journey to discover his past in a beautiful story of faith and unconditional love.

9pm – THE LAST FAMILY
Polish surrealist Zdzislaw Beksinski (Andrzej Seweryn) aims his camcorder at his loving wife and troubled son (SIFF 2014 Best Actor winner Dawid Ogrodnik), unfolding a subversive true-life family drama. Winner of four Polish Academy Awards.

Friday, June 2

4pm – GHOLAM
Shahab Hosseini, star of 2016 Oscar®-winner THE SALESMAN, gives a mesmerizing performance as an enigmatic Iranian cab driver in London who strives to live a quiet life on his own terms until his mysterious past threatens to overtake him.

6:30pm – THE HIPPOPOTAMUS
Adapted from the deliciously witty novel by Stephen Fry, Roger Allam gives a wonderfully cantankerous performance as a profane, drunken writer who takes a job investigating a series of unexplained miracle healings at a friend’s country manor.

8:45pm – IN THE RADIANT CITY
Rachel Lambert’s incisive first feature, co-produced by Jeff Nichols (MIDNIGHT SPECIAL), is an intimate drama about a man who testified against his brother for committing a horrendous crime. Twenty years later he returns to his rural Kentucky hometown to face his fractured family.

Saturday, June 3

1pm – WOODPECKERS – [Film Director Jose Maria Cabral Scheduled to Attend!]
This hard-hitting but compassionate prison story from Santo Domingo, shot on location with real inmates, tells the love story between two prisoners in neighboring institutions who communicate through an elaborate sign language known as woodpecking.

4pm – INVERSION
After her mother’s illness worsens due to the air pollution in Tehran, an unmarried female shop owner comes to the suffocating realization that her selfish relatives are trying to control her life, leading to a personal mutiny against male domination.

6:30pm – WINNIE
The absorbing life story of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who fought on the front lines for South African human rights during her husband’s 27-year imprisonment, in focus through archival footage and interviews with both her closest friends and those who hoped to silence her.

9pm – AMERICAN FOLK
Folk singers Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth deliver elegant, naturalistic performances as two strangers who take an impromptu cross-country road trip in the days after 9/11, rediscovering the power of music to heal in the wake of an unthinkable national tragedy.


Use the code SHORELINE2017 for a discount at checkout!

The Internet of Things: Beyond the Hype

North City Tech group will meet on Monday, June 5, 2017 from 7 - 9pm at the Shoreline Public Library, 345 NE 175th St, Shoreline 98155 in the Large meeting room.

Everyone is invited, there is no fee. You may RSVP at the Meetup page, but feel free to show up with registration.

Program:  The Internet of Things: Beyond the Hype
In this discussion we will survey the state-of-the-art relating to the Internet of Things and try to separate what is marketing hype from what is production-ready and what is reality from fiction.

We will cover a large swath of the technologies and use cases from the ground to the cloud with professional insight into where the field is and where it is going. There will be some equipment show-and-tell and time for questions so please come and join the discussion.

Speaker Mike Maas is a Cisco Technical Evangelist focused on Internet of Things. He works in the DevNet team helping to facilitate technology access, content, and experiences to developers around the world. Mike has way too many systems, devices, and gadgets with never enough time to tinker with them all.

North City Tech Meetups follow an every-other-month schedule. One month is a speaker and alternate months are general discussions. Meet at either the Shoreline Library or Lake Forest Library depending on their availability. Check out the Meetup.com site for each month’s topic.

Ice Cream and Celebration time at June 1 Shoreline Special Needs PTSA meeting

The chapter will wrap up the school year with a special member meeting at 6:30pm June 1.

They'll celebrate with ice cream (members can bring the kiddos) and recognize Michael Rhyne, Syre Elementary School counselor who was the chapter's pick for 2017 outstanding educator through the district's PTA Council awards.

And we'll sneak in some final business with members voting on a proposed 2017-18 chapter budget. 

Note the location change: This meeting will be in the gym at Syre Elementary, 19545 12th Ave NW, Shoreline 98177. Treats will be served starting at 6:30pm. More about the chapter here

Shoreline fire calls May 22 - 28 - quite a variety this week

Four Shoreline Fire Fighters competed in the Leavenworth Firefighter Challenge. Climbing 1,665 vertical feet over 6.2 miles (10k) of rugged National Forest terrain tested the physical and mental endurance of the toughest competitors. The Challenge gave Firefighters the opportunity to both test themselves and for Wildland agencies and Structural departments to compete and see who was the toughest. Firefighter Merlino finished 6th overall with a time of just over 1.5 hours! 

Shoreline fire calls for the week of May 22 - 28, 2017

Aid - 74
Aid Non Emergency - 21
MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident ) - 9
CMT (Community Medicine Team) - 8
Medic - 31
MVA Medic - 2
Cardiac Arrest - 3
AFA - 9
Confirmed Fire - 2 (1 small fire in bedroom, smoke alarm alerted residents and quickly extinguished upon our arrival)
Dumpster Fire - 1
Flooding Minor - 1
Haz - 1 CO alarm
Natural Gas in the Area - 1
Service Call - 3 (1 downed tree in roadway, 1 smoking oven, 1 elevator call)
*Smoke/Burn Complaint - 6 (4 bonfire's on beach, 2 burn piles/residence)
Vehicle Fire - 1

*Bonfires are NOT 911 fire calls unless it is a brush fire. The police department should be called for an illegal burn.

Fiery Ferments at Third Place Books Wednesday

Some like it hot - and they will be heading to Third Place Books Wednesday night to get a copy of Fiery Ferments and ask questions of the authors.

Kirsten K. Shockey and Christopher Shockey

Fiery Ferments: 70 Stimulating Recipes for Hot Sauces, Spicy Chutneys, Kimchis with Kick, and Other Blazing Fermented Condiments (Storey)

Wednesday, May 31 at 7pm

Add both health and heat to your plate! The bestselling authors of Fermented Vegetables present an all-new array of techniques and formulas to make naturally fermented spicy sauces, relishes, and spreads — plus dozens of recipes that use your hot ferments.

Third Place Books is on the upper level of Town Center, intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way in Lake Forest Park

June artists at Garden Essentia

Meet June Featured Artists

Nancy Adamson (Artful Views)

Mary Freiburger (Jems Jewelry)

Garden Essentia

20152 Ballinger Way NE

Shoreline 98155

206-453-3920

Thursday June 1 5:00 - 8:00 (open house)

We would like to welcome artists Nancy Adamson and Mary Freiburger for our June Featured Artist Open House. Their beautiful art will be on display and available throughout the month of June.

Nancy Adamson

Nancy Adamson

Artful Views

"An unexpected image!"

Art has been my passion for as long as I can remember. Even pursued an art major at the University of Washington for a while in my youth. 

Color, form, an appealing subject and the unexpected image are the cornerstones of my art.

Digital art and digital photography and the image created from combining traditional art with digital art techniques and digital apps is very exciting, challenging and great fun!

My digital photographs and digital paintings focus on nature and the beautiful world of flowers.

Mary Freiburger

Jems Jewelry

Jem's Jewelry offers classically styled necklaces and earrings for women who love jewelry.

Mary Freiburger designs unique, affordable pieces made of sterling silver and gold embellished with sparkling semi-precious stones and European glass at her studio in Seattle.

Mary finds inspiration for her colorful pieces from a walk in the arboretum or a visit to the local aquarium. The vibrant colors of blooming trees in the Spring, Autumn leaves or tropical fish are visible in her brightly colored creations.

Jem's current line of jewelry reflects Mary's love of spending time at the beach. Soft ocean blue chalcedony semi-precious stones wrapped in gold are featured in her recent designs. Earrings and necklaces for Fall feature labradorite and moonstone.

Jem's Jewelry can be found at museum gift shops and art galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Memorial Day: Medal of Honor recipient

HistoryLink.org

By Priscilla Long

On June 21, 2000, President Bill Clinton (b. 1946) presents 22 World War II heroes, including Seattleite William Kenzo Nakamura (d. 1944), the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor.

Nakamura died on an Italian battlefield on July 4, 1944, when he alone approached intense German machine gun fire, drawing it away from the rest of his platoon.

He was a member of the legendary Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 34th "Red Bull" Division, U.S. 5th Army, and was the first Army volunteer from Minidoka Relocation Center (an internment camp) to be killed in action.

The 22 war heroes had been denied Medals of Honor at the time on account of their Asian ancestry.

A Garfield High Graduate

Nakamura grew up in the International District, graduated from Garfield High School, attended the University of Washington, and during the summers worked in a salmon cannery at Union Bay, Alaska. His studies were interrupted when he and his family were forced to move to the Minidoka Relocation Center (internment camp) in 1942.

William K. Nakamura

He enlisted in the army and became a member of what would become one of the most highly decorated regiments in U.S. history, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 34th "Red Bull" Division, U.S. 5th Army. He was the first Army volunteer from Minidoka Relocation Center to be killed in action.

On July 4, 1944, Nakamura's platoon was caught in intense machine gun fire from a German machine gun unit. Nakamura crawled by himself toward the fire, throwing hand grenades. His action halted the fire long enough for his platoon to escape.

Nakamura himself escaped injury, only to die later the same day, when again he approached machine-gun fire in order to draw it away from his comrades.

After the war, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the country's second highest military award. His commander had recommended him for a Medal of Honor.

Army Medal of Honor

In President Clinton's presentation of the Congressional Medals of Honor to upgrade 22 war heroes who had received Distinguished Service Crosses, Nakamura is described as:

William Nakamura, July 4, 1944, Castellina, Italy: Attacked a machine-gun nest that pinned down his platoon and was killed when the Germans attacked his platoon as it withdrew. RANK: PRIVATE FIRST CLASS — UNIT: Co. G, 442ND — HOMETOWN: HUNT, IDAHO

Actually, Seattle was Nakamura's hometown. Hunt, Idaho, was the Minidoka Relocation Center, the Internment Camp to which Nakamura and his family had been forced to move.

On August 21, 2008, the Seattle City Council passed a resolution urging Congress to name a planned new federal courthouse in Seattle after Nakamura. On September 19, 2000, the King County Council passed a similar resolution.

Congress responded in November 2000 by renaming the existing courthouse (at Madison Street and 5th Avenue) in his honor. The new courthouse, opened in August 2004 at 7th Avenue and Stewart Street, was named simply the United States District Courthouse. The Nakamura Courthouse is scheduled to be rehabilitated and reopened as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Friday afternoon at the movies: Top Hat with Fred Astaire

Friday Afternoon at the Movies is presented by Scarecrow Video as part of the Silver Cinema Project, at the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center.

1:30 - 4:30pm, Friday, June 2, 2017. Free movie and free popcorn!

This month's feature: Top Hat with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

This is a 1935 American Screwball comedy film with Astaire playing an American dancer. He comes to London to star in a show where he meets Ginger Rogers and tries to win her affection.

Great Irving Berlin songs and dancing, of course!


The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center is located in the southern-most building of the Shoreline Center, 18560 1st Ave NE #1, Shoreline WA 98155, 206-365-1536.

Petition to name a school building for civil rights pioneer assassinated in Shoreline

Pratt Family.
After talking to daughter Miriam Pratt, Sarah obtained this photo
from a woman who is writing the Pratt biography

Meridian Park 3rd grader Sarah is on a mission.

I came across a plaque at one of my soccer games and it was for Edwin T. Pratt. My mom and I looked him up and found out more about him.

Edwin T. Pratt was an accomplished civil rights leader and the director of the Seattle Urban League. He stood up for school desegregation and fair housing. He moved with his wife and young daughter to Shoreline, Washington to set an example of how we can all be neighbors. He was assassinated on the doorstep of his home in January of 1969.

He was an important person and he had a huge impact on others.

This plaque is on a rock between the tennis courts and
Playfields north of the Shoreline Center

Now she is inspired to take action.

I talked to the school board in February. I have now started a petition to the school board asking them to re-name or name a Shoreline school district building after him in his honor.

The goal of the petition is to honor Edwin T. Pratt with something more substantial than a small plaque.

The purpose of this petition is to honor Edwin T. Pratt by naming or renaming a Shoreline School District building/school after him.

Sarah explains, "I think naming a Shoreline school district building in his honor would be appropriate because he rallied for all children to have equal education and desegregated schools."

You do NOT need to be a resident of Shoreline or Lake Forest Park to sign this petition, Sarah says, anyone who supports this cause can sign.

The petition is here

The current Pratt Memorial is a small wooden structure with a little bench. All sides are covered with art created by school children under the direction of a professional artist.

The stone with the plaque is just visible on the left.

Coming this summer: You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown

"YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN"

Based on the comic strip "PEANUTS" by Charles Schultz

Music, Book and Lyrics by Clark Gesner

Additional Dialogue by Michael Mayer

Additional Music and Lyrics by Anderw Lippa

An Aurora Theatre Company Production

Directed by Scott Charles Francis

August 10-26 at Shoreline City Hall at 8:00pm

2017 Production Sponsors

The City of Shoreline      Charlie's Produce      Smeraldo Restaurants, Inc.

Yvonne Clement      Gravity Payments      Dan Eernissee      

Shoreline United Methodist Church

Now auditioning actors

Free yoga class June 6

”A Taste of Yoga”

FREE gentle class

10:30-11:30am

Tuesday, June 6th

Richmond Beach Library, Main Meeting Room

This class will sample much that yoga has to offer, calming the mind and gently moving the body.

Please join us! Yoga is for everyone, not just the stretchy, flexible people.

We’ll practice breathing, stretching, movement, and stillness. The class will be a gentle stretch which is a very beneficial and healthy way to soothe and calm yourself.

Taught by a Yoga Alliance RYT-200, certified, insured Yoga instructor. Pam teaches Gentle yoga and more at Richmond Beach Yoga (Top of Richmond Beach Road, next to Rite Aid.) At Richmond Beach Yoga we teach gentle, slow flow, meditation, Kids; classes and more.

If you have a yoga mat, bring it (we will have some to loan too) or a beach towel or you can use a chair too. We make adjustments for various injuries. Yoga is a place to heal as well.

For the Birds: Little Brown Jobs

Savannah Sparrow
Photo by John Riegsecker

Little Brown Jobs                                 
by Christine Southwick

In the bird world, there are lots of brown-colored birds. These birds are usually briefly seen on or near the ground, making it hard to identify them without longer observation. Consequently many people in the birding community call these birds, “little brown job-ies”, or LJB’s.

Why so many brown, either striped or spotted brown birds do you ask?

Lincoln's Sparrow Photo by Barry Ulman

Camouflage! Most of our brown birds skulk in grasses or under bushes — where they blend right into the background.

Song Sparrows are the quintessential local, year-round brown bird, and if your yard has bushes, you probably have some.

Shoreline has many others:

Savannah Sparrows, Lincoln Sparrows, House Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, Swainson’s Thrushes, and Hermit Thrushes.

Most of these either just pass through during migration, or are commonly seen only in the summer. Our wintry-local Fox Sparrows are the darker Sooty Fox Sparrows which helps them blend into the darker brushy understory that they prefer.

Chipping Sparrow Photo by Jane Hadley

Most fledgling ground birds start out stripy-brown to help their survival odds: Spotted Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows can all be hard to distinguish one species from another until they start getting their first-winter body feathers.

They all have stripy breasts, are smaller than robins, and don’t look like their adults.

So how does a person learn to identify one from another?

First thing to do is look at bird books. There are lots of good bird-ID books. For beginners, I recommend local regional books.

Juvie Dark-eyed Junco
Photo by Christine Southwick

It is too confusing to look for a bird that you thought you saw, and then look at the map for that bird, and find that it is usually east of the Mississippi River.


That being said, I still recommend Kaufman’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America for beginners — lots of great beginner tips.

Sibley Guide to Western Birds may be all you need for the western United States, but if you become like most birders, you will keep looking for that next book, that potentially favorite one.

There are several books about local birds, and the best place to find that book that suits you is either the Seattle Audubon store on 35th NE, or Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park.

The best lure for birds is dripping water. To keep them healthy, make sure you are not using pesticides or herbicides — poisoned bugs and plants will kill yard birds and their babies too.

Bicycle Rodeo Saturday for 5 -12 year olds

Richmond Highlands and Hillwood Neighborhood Associations are working together to raise awareness about bicycle safety by sponsoring a free Bicycle Rodeo on Saturday, June 3, 2017, from 2 to 4pm, at Sunset School Park, 17840 10th Ave NW, Shoreline 98177.

The bicycle rodeo is designed to teach safe bicycle riding skills for children ages five to 12 and their parents. During the event, participants will be taught safe riding techniques through an obstacle course that re-creates real-life situations. The course will help participants practice scanning for automobiles, develop correct riding techniques, and teach children how to avoid road hazards such as tree limbs, pot holes, and rocks.

Volunteers will be on duty to assist in helmet and bicycle fitting and to help in preparing bicycles to be road ready. Representatives from Children’s Hospital, Performance Bicycles, Shoreline Fire Department, and Shoreline Police Department will be participating along with other neighborhood volunteers.

Children need to bring their own bikes and helmets to the event. There will be a limited number of helmets available to children who do not have them. Parents or legal guardians will be required to sign a waiver for their children to participate. A copy of the waiver can be obtained in advance to speed up registration by email request.

25th Anniversary Richmond Beach Garden Tour June 10

A garden on the Richmond Beach Garden Tour

25th Anniversary Richmond Beach Garden Tour

Saturday, June 10

11:00am to 4:00pm

Various locations 

in and near Richmond Beach

Free garden exploration and inspiration are yours at Richmond Beach Community Association's 25th Annual Garden Tour.

Maps of the self-guided tour will be available starting June 1 online and at Richmond Beach Library, Richmond Beach Coffee Company and Sky Nursery.