Shoreline Area News: 2021

Olympics in sunshine

Friday, December 31, 2021

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

There are a lot of advantages to our snowy weather. We get sunshine, which is not normal at this time of year. No one is talking about the "Big Dark" or leaving porch lights on. The snow reflects so much light that there is some light even in the middle of the night (trust me on this).

The mountains are glorious and the photographers are turning in beautiful photos. I see people walking about with sleds, skis, and snowboards. Not sure where they are finding hills but I have heard about the Nile, Shoreview Park, a couple of schools with small hills, probably Motorcycle Hill, and I'm sure there are many other spots.

Enjoy it while it's here. When the snow is gone it will seem even darker than usual.

--Diane Hettrick

Overwhelmed, UW Medicine testing sites are prioritizing for people with COVID symptoms

Beginning January 4, 2022, UW Medicine will be prioritizing COVID-19 testing for people with appointments who have symptoms of respiratory illness or who have a known exposure to COVID-19.

Testing for people without symptoms, including before and after travel or gatherings, will not be available due to the high volume of omicron cases that are being processed in our laboratory.

Nine UW Medicine COVID-19 testing locations remain open in Seattle and King County. Because each positive sample must undergo additional testing, the recent surge in positive tests limits the total number of samples that we can handle. We apologize for this inconvenience and will continue to monitor testing capacity and adjust prioritization as this current surge of COVID-19 evolves.

Visit the UW Medicine website for current COVID-19 testing site locations and hours of operation.

Residents encouraged to delay trips to King County garbage and recycling transfer stations until roadways are safer

King County Transfer Station in Shoreline
Photo by Diane Hettrick

King County’s Solid Waste Division is encouraging residents to delay trips to garbage and recycling transfer stations until roadways are safer.

That will also prevent some transfer stations from exceeding capacity while icy conditions limit the ability to haul waste to the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in Maple Valley.

Case updates December 30, 2021 - 2.2 million new cases in the past seven days in the U.S.

The omicron variant is extremely contagious and is surging in all 50 states.

If you are vaccinated / boosted the symptoms are relatively mild.

If you are not vaccinated - now is the time - omicron can be very serious.

Everyone is urged to get a booster.

If you initially got a Johnson and Johnson vaccine, you need to get boosted with Pfizer or Moderna. J/J apparently is only effective for a couple of months and is no longer being recommended.

If you started with Moderna, Pfizer is ok for a booster and may even give you an advantage. Moderna is testing out well but supplies seem to be limited.

COVID-19 Updates

United States

Total cases 53,795,407 - 486,428 new
Cases in past 7 days - 2,213,940
Total deaths 820,355 - 1,539 new

Washington State

Total confirmed cases 747,702 - 6,287 new
Total hospitalizations 45,381 - 139 new
Statewide ICU occupancy by COVID-19 patients - 15.7%
Total deaths 9,853 - 14 new

Levels of Community Transmission:

based on the number of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 7 days:

High: ≥ 100

Substantial: 50-99

Moderate: 10-49

Low: < 10

King county

Total confirmed cases 189,238 - 2,265 new
Cases in past 7 days - 13,040
Total hospitalizations 9,137 - 25 new
Total deaths 2,162 - 5 new
Level of community transmission HIGH

Seattle

Total confirmed cases 48,867 - 645 new
Cases in past 7 days - 4,264
Total hospitalizations 1,927 - 6 new
Total deaths 527 - 0 new
Level of community transmission HIGH

Shoreline

Total confirmed cases 4,091 - 36 new
Cases in past 7 days - 245
Total hospitalizations 257 - 1 new
Total deaths 115 - 0 new
Level of community transmission: HIGH

Lake Forest Park

Total confirmed cases 684 - 4 new
Cases in past 7 days - 56
Total hospitalizations 23 - 0 new
Total deaths 5 - 0 new
Level of community transmission: HIGH

Numbers will not be reported on Friday because of the holiday

Shoreline weather and streets

Shoreline crews reviewed routes and procedures in October to be ready

With the exception of some possible flurries, snow is not expected in measurable amounts through the weekend. Temperatures will be briefly above freezing today, but will dip back down later this afternoon and will remain below freezing until Saturday. Temperatures are forecast to warm up over the weekend with the possibility of rain on Sunday.

Current road conditions: Shoreline City crews have been working hard and all primary routes have been plowed. Plow crews are currently touching up those routes and working on secondary streets.

They will move to neighborhood streets soon if possible. View maps of primary and secondary plow routes at shorelinewa.gov/stormready.

Please be cautious while driving as ice is a possibility when snow melts and refreezes overnight. We are so thankful to our hard-working staff who have been putting in twelve-hour shifts to make our roads safe.

As snow begins to melt this weekend, please check the storm drains near you if you are able and clear any snow or debris from them to prevent localized ponding/flooding.

Full nighttime road closures on NE 175th from 5th to I-5

Starting Monday, January 3, 2022 Sound Transit will close both directions of NE175th St from 5th Ave NE to the Interstate 5 overpass, including the closure of both NE 175th St to northbound I-5 on and off-ramps.

The closure will be utilized for guideway construction as part of the Light Rail Lynnwood Link Extension project.

The closure will be from 10pm to 5am, January 3 - 6 (Monday through Thursday)/

A New Year resolution worth making: Ditch the cloth masks, says a UW Medicine infectious disease expert

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Ditch the cloth masks, says a UW Medicine infectious disease expert.

“I stopped wearing cloth masks months ago,” said Dr. John Lynch, Harborview Medical Center's medical director for infection prevention and control.

“Just to be clear, I think you should toss out your (cloth) masks or maybe hang them up as decorations.”

Instead, use respirators (like N95s), surgical masks, or masks with multiple layers, and make sure they fit well, Lynch said. “The fit is very important here and we want masks to fit against the faces,” he said.

The N95s are the gold standard, but they can be uncomfortable to wear every day. Lynch recommends that people wear a mask that they won’t remove often while in indoor spaces or crowds.

He identified useful mask information posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and this post from Public Health-Seattle and King County. Public Health favors surgical or KN95 masks over cloth masks, but if cloth masks are your only option, the department stresses that they should have two or more layers.

A December 29 post by the American Medical Association suggested upgrading from a cloth mask to a surgical mask. “At minimum, though, consider double masking. This means wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask for a tighter fit. While double masking or a mask fitter may not offer as much protection as an N95, they are a big improvement compared to a cloth mask alone."

All visitors to UW Medicine hospitals are handed surgical masks on entry to the hospitals, with the expectation is that they cat put it on over their existing mask for an added layer of protection..

Looking to 2022, Lynch sees signs of hope, attributing them to the significantly higher populations of fully vaccinated U.S. adults and children, and omicron's seeming less severity than previous variants among vaccinated people.

He called the antiviral pills recently granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration a “huge leap” in the fight against COVID-19..

“The therapies are very promising in keeping people out of the hospital,” he said. “Maybe with the epidemiology of this new variant, access to treatment, testing and boosters, it may paint a picture of an exit from the uncontrolled pandemic to something that is more akin to what we deal with in influenza, or something similar,” he said.

Gloria's Birds: I don't mind the cold so much, photog,

Photo copyright Gloria Z Nagler

but have you seen a pair of legs anywhere? Can't seem to find mine…

(No Varied Thrushes were actually legless in this post:)

--Gloria Z Nagler

I-5 express lanes to remain southbound through January 3, 2022

Express lanes to remain open southbound

SEATTLE – The Interstate 5 express lanes will remain open southbound until Monday, January 3, 2022.

The Washington State Department of Transportation made that decision because of the continuing winter weather conditions.

With the cold temperatures, ice and snow can freeze and lock the express lanes gate mechanisms.

In the past, attempting to operate the systems in these conditions has resulted in damage to the gates.

Keeping the express lanes open 24 hours a day also helps to reduce snow and ice build-up on the roadway.

WSDOT plans to return express lanes operations to its regular schedule on January 3.

$500 million Powerball Jackpot to be drawn January 1, 2022

OLYMPIA, Wash.— For those who resolve to save more money in the New Year, that goal could come with a half-billion dollar head start on New Year’s Day if they’re the one holding the winning Powerball ticket that matches all six numbers correctly to claim the $500 million jackpot for this coming Saturday’s drawing.

The Powerball jackpot was hit six times in 2021, and it would definitely kick-off 2022 in style to have it hit on Day 1 of the New Year.

Powerball tickets are available for purchase at Washington’s Lottery retail locations throughout the state, a list of which can be found here.

The Powerball drawing will take place at 7:59pm PT Saturday, January 1, 2022. Tickets for Powerball drawings are available until 6:45pm PT on the day of the draw. Sales for the next drawing resume the same day at 6:46pm.

Powerball also recently added Double Play, a new add-on feature for $1, offering the chance to win up to $10 million in a separate drawing using the same set of numbers on your main Powerball ticket. Double Play draws at 8:30pm.

Powerball is a national lottery game. Each play is $2. Players pick five numbers between one and 69 and one Powerball number between one and 26. Alternatively, players may use Quick Pick by letting the computer select their numbers. With nine winning ball combinations, the more numbers that match those drawn, the more a player will win.

Making a Difference in Washington State

Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $4.5 billion to support several important state programs, including providing much-needed funds for the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (WOPA). In FY21, WOPA received $185.7 million from the Lottery, enough to pay college tuition for more than 18,000 Washington residents. It also provided approximately 25% of the annual budget for the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, which provides critical services to more than 15,000 children at 440 locations across Washington.

About Washington’s Lottery

The state’s Lottery offers players several types of games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto, Hit 5, Match 4, Pick 3, Daily Keno and Scratch. For more information, visit www.walottery.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @walottery.

Keep it fun. Know your limit

Washington’s Lottery is an advocate for responsible gaming and collaborates with the Evergreen Council for Problem Gambling to provide resources for those in need. More information is available at www.walottery.com/Responsibility.

Shoreline Planning Commission meets January 6

2021 Commission

The Shoreline Planning Commission will meet virtually on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 7-10pm online.

Click Here to Watch Online Live Streaming Video of the Meeting
Call into the Live Meeting: 253-215-8782 (Webinar ID: 867 7620 8871)
Click Here to Sign-Up to Provide Oral Comment at the Meeting via Calling-In
Click Here to Submit Written Public Comment

Agenda Highlights

Link to Full Meeting Packet

Chair Laura Mork is moving to a position on the Shoreline City Council. Vice Chair Pam Sager will assume the chairmanship of the 2022 Planning Commission and a new ViceChair will be elected at the January meeting.

Last night for Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter is Thursday, December 30

Seattle Mennonite Church in Lake City

Thursday, December 30, 2021 will be the final night of this storm that we will be able to offer a Severe Weather Shelter at St. Dunstan's in Shoreline.

There is a plan in place on Friday, December 31 to be able to either put folks up in hotels or transport people to Seattle Mennonite Church (which has capacity at their temporary Severe Weather Shelter) through our outreach team (Walt and Carrie at Lake City Partners).

We've had a pretty consistent 5-7 people at the Shoreline Severe Weather Shelter and are communicating with them about their options for Friday evening.

This is always a great link for severe weather day and shelter sites that is updated frequently.

https://kcrha.org/2021/12/22/cold-weather-shelter-dec-25-29/

Seattle Mennonite Church is located at 3120 NE 125th St, Seattle, WA 98125 in Lake City.

Icicles - long, wide, artistic

In response to yesterday's Icicle Challenge (Who has the longest icicles?) we have some impressive, new contenders.

Photo by Jaclyn Newman

These are getting a second wind by hitchhiking on the railing.

Photo by Qaiser Sheikh

These are in a new category: Most Artistic

Photo by Cindy-Lou Foutch

And this one just knocked it out of the park at 66 inches.

Do you need help with navigating Windows 11?

Want to know what benefits the new OS has to offer and if you need to upgrade? Should you make the transition now or wait to buy a new computer?

A computer professional for over 30 years, Brian Boston, will help you discover how Windows 11 can make your home and work life easier.

REGISTER NOW! https://www.campusce.net/shoreline/course/course.aspx...

(1/19 – 1/26) | 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Wednesdays (2)

Fee: $49

Location: 1500 Building, Shoreline Community College 16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133

For the Birds: Your Bird Muse for 2022

This Song Sparrow has fluffed its feathers to trap warm air around itself.
Photo by Craig Kerns

By Christine Southwick

The first bird you see New Year’s Day is traditionally your guiding bird for that year. It is a fun way to connect with nature and to watch, learn, and embrace your local birds. What does “your” bird eat? Where does it nest — on the ground, in shrubs, planters, trees, or cavities in trees?

Every bird has some enduring qualities that allows them to thrive in this area, despite environmental challenges. Lessons and guidance can be gained from watching any specific bird.

Bewick's Wren alert and looking for its next meal
Photo by Craig Kerns

But what if it is a starling, or a robin, or shudder, one of those little brown jobbies?

European Starlings are smart, social and follow group dynamics. Closely-knit wheeling-flying displays called murmurations are an amazing sight to behold.

American Robins are the quintessential Early Bird belting out their cheery song. Since they eat worms and insects, they won’t come to your feeders, but will eat bugs from your yard.

“Little Brown Jobs” in our area includes Song Sparrows, Lincoln Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, and even juvenile White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows but each has a distinct song, niche, and trait, just waiting for you to discover it. These are all great bug and weed-seed eaters.

Black-capped Chickadee, cold and trying to stay warm
Photo by Craig Kerns
Anna’s Hummingbird Speedy with great precision

Band-tailed Pigeons, our native species, roost and nest near others — the basic group-lover. They require tall conifers.

Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, Screech Owls are night creatures that see things often overlooked. They like to eat critters that roam at night. Keep those tall trees.

Bewick’s Wrens are inquisitive, talkative, eat your garden bugs, especially spiders, and fill your yard with liquid songs

Black-capped Chickadees often hang upside down, follow the rules, and have a strong mate-bond

Bushtits share well with others and communicate within groups

Cooper’s Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks survive by their wit and athletic prowess

Crows (American Crows) are highly intelligent and communicate with each other

Hairy Woodpecker Photo by Craig Kerns
Dark-eyed Juncos keep in contact with each other verbally, and alert others about danger by flashing their white tail feathers.

Spotted Towhees will come if your yard is healthy. These birds scratch through leaves and duff to find their arthropod meals. If your yard is blown clear of leaves and sterile, you won’t have these pretty natives.

Varied Thrushes - eye-candy plus inspiring songsters arrive in healthy yards in wintertime, when they come looking for shelter, seeds and arthropods.

Woodpeckers—Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Northern Flicker and Red-breasted Sapsucker all visit yards with trees — the bigger and taller the better. They rid your trees of bugs, and work hard to create a home site for themselves and other cavity dwellers

See previous For the Birds columns HERE

LFP residents, including two new council members, tour the Shoreline Historical Museum

Larry Goldman and Tracy Furutani, LFP Council members-elect, and other LFP residents
toured the museum with Kenneth Doutt, Shoreline Historical Museum Executive Director

By Sally Yamasaki

Lake Forest Park Council members-elect Larry Goldman and Tracy Furutani, along with other LFP residents, toured the Shoreline Historical Museum and met new Executive Director Kenneth Doutt.

"This was my first time to visit the museum! It's a great resource for anyone wanting to know the details of Lake Forest Park's history, even before the city of Lake Forest Park existed." commented Furutani.

On our tour of the museum, Doutt handed us cards to write down what excites us most about living in Lake Forest Park. Then, with more critical eyes and minds, we ventured into the museum gallery to see if we could find those elements in the exhibit space.

c. 1935 Lake Forest Park Civic Club. Photo from Shoreline Historical Museum

"To listen and learn first hand from community members is incredibly exciting to me as we begin to rethink and develop our museum spaces," said Doutt.

LFP resident Anne Udaloy, a hydrogeologist, explained that she appreciated the re-created map of the area exhibited from an 1859 survey that included traditional living and land use areas of the Duwamish and other Coast Salish Tribes.

For her, seeing the confluence of the two major drainages, Lyon and McAleer Creeks, into Lake Washington reminded her of the community's responsibility to care for these streams.

A portion of the re-created map from 1859 showing
Lake Forest Park and its two major creeks.
Photo and map from Shoreline Historical Museum

"Our community has the opportunity, and responsibility, to care for these streams. Plans to preserve the streams were embedded in early documents describing proposed land development, including early deeds, but were not always honored.

"It's exciting to realize that we are likely to have an exceptional opportunity in the upcoming decade to take meaningful actions in defense of these watersheds," said Udaloy.

The museum has been around before Shoreline was a city and it gets its name from its mission to preserve the history and serve the community of the historical Shoreline School District which ran from "SHORE to SHORE and LINE to LINE."

In other words, between the shores of Lake Washington and Puget Sound and between the lines of NE 205th St (Snohomish County border) and NE 65th/85th St (former Seattle city limit).

In 1961, Lake Forest Park officially became a city, then in 1995 Shoreline followed suit. So, although the museum’s name is Shoreline Historical Museum, it includes the communities of Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and part of North Seattle.

"If we want to have a good plan for where Lake Forest Park might go in the future, it's important to understand the history. The Shoreline Historical Museum provides a good background about the history of Lake Forest Park and the region," said Goldman.

The museum is located at 18501 Linden Ave N. near Fred Meyer on Aurora. For more information call: 206-542-711 or www.shorelinehistoricalmuseum.org.

To learn more about Lake Forest Park History, visit: https://youtu.be/VHHpJwFMeYs

Speaker Vicki Stiles: "Shoreline Historical Museum, commemorates Lake Forest Park's 60th Anniversary with a trip through time, examining the people and events that helped make Lake Forest Park uniquely what it is today."

WeatherWatcher: Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Thursday

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

January 18, 2012 snow in Shoreline
Photo by Carl Dinse

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a winter weather advisory in effect Thursday until 7pm. Snow is expected through Thursday tapering off in the afternoon hours. Total new accumulations expected between 2 - 5 inches.

The forecast has little signs of any warmup for the north end, which includes Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. Snow is expected all day Thursday ending in the evening hours. Friday, we get a break with sunny skies and more cold temperatures. We are looking at lows in the lower to mid 20's and highs right around freezing, depending on your elevation.

A chance of snow brings in the New Year shortly after midnight with gradual warming during New Year's Day. There is a chance of snow in the morning with the possibility of a chance of rain or snow in the afternoon. Snow levels rise to around 200 feet, so most of the area will still be above the snow level.

Saturday evening through Tuesday we warm up, just a little. High temperatures may make it into the 40's with a chance of rain. Sunday night looks to be our next steady rain event. Longer range shows that by Wednesday next week we could be cooling down again with the threat of at least seeing some snow mix in with rain.

Forecasts continue to have high uncertainty about the warmup in the weekend, and what to expect next week. We'll do our best to keep you up to date with the latest when things become more certain.

Monday December 27, 2021 was officially the coldest day since December 29, 1990. The high temperature on Monday December 27th was 23°F at Sea-Tac. The high on December 29, 1990, only reached 22°F at Sea-Tac. The low this past Monday morning was 17°F at Sea-Tac.

In Shoreline, Monday's high temperature reached 21.6°F, with a low of 14°F. We've recorded a total snow accumulation of 10 inches, but never had 10 inches total on the ground, as some has compressed and evaporated inbetween the smaller snow dumps. There was a total 6 inches on the ground Saturday morning, another 3 inches new snow reported Sunday, and 1 inch new reported Monday at the Richmond Beach station.

For current weather conditions visit www.shorelineweather.com

Three councilmembers retiring from Shoreline City Council: Hall, McGlashan, Chang

Three members of the Shoreline City Council are retiring this month, after long terms on the council.

Mayor Will Hall

Will Hall was elected to City Council in 2009, 2013, and 2017. He served as Deputy Mayor from 2010 to 2011 and as Mayor in from 2018 through 2021.

Serving this community and this Council has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life and I’ve learned so much from other councilmembers. I just can’t express how thankful I am for each of you, your work to make this a special place, and the work the community does as well.

I want to acknowledge and thank our City Manager and our employees. Those are the people who do the actual hard work everyday to take care of the City, fix our roads, work with kids on education programs, and clean up our parks.

Everything that makes this such a beautiful community is thanks to the hard work of our city employees. I think we have the greatest team of employees in the State.

What I appreciate about everybody on this Council, and all the elected officials that represent us at all levels, everyday they are looking for a way to make a positive difference.

That’s what gives me hope that Shoreline will just keep getting better and better. I’ve enjoyed and learned from each of you. And I will miss it. Thank you.

Will

Keith McGlashan

Keith McGlashan was elected to the City Council in 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017, and served as Mayor from 2010 to 2013.

I want to thank everybody in the community for their support (or non-support). it’s been an honor to serve.

We’ve been through a lot of growing pains in the 16 years I’ve been on Council.

I think the City is turning out to be a pretty darned good place because of the decisions we’ve made.

I’ve learned from them all and at some point during debates something each councilmember has said made me stop and assess my opinion on a topic.

My sincere thanks to the community for putting their trust in me. It has always been greatly appreciated!

Keith

Susan Chang

Susan Chang was elected to the Shoreline City Council in 2017 and served through 2021.

It has been an honor to serve on this Council and to represent the varied viewpoints of residents of the City of Shoreline.

I’ve met many wonderful, caring people who have become friends, and have so enjoyed attending community meetings to find out what is important to our residents.

This opportunity to work for the good of our city over the past four years has been one of the highlights of my life.

Thank you for giving me the chance to serve.

Susan

Still time to sign up for state health insurance - deadline January 15

It's not too late to find a health plan for your way of living! Enroll by January 15, 2022 and get covered starting February 1, 2022.

Sign up at https://wahealthplanfinder.org

Washington Healthplanfinder is the online marketplace where individuals, families and small businesses can find, compare and enroll in a health plan.

It is part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is intended to make it easier for consumers to shop for coverage. It also provides federal tax credits for premiums depending upon your household size and income.

You can only buy coverage during defined open enrollment periods unless you have a life event that qualifies you for a special enrollment period. Examples of qualifying life events are marriage, divorce, having a baby or you are terminated from your job and lose group coverage.

This applies to all individual health plans whether you buy from Washington Healthplanfinder or directly from an insurance company.

Letter to the Editor: A single source of energy can be dangerous when that source fails

To the Editor:

On December 6th, Shoreline City Council passed Ordinance 948 banning fossil fuel heating from all new 4+ story multi-family dwellings. Our activist City Council is thankfully prevented from doing this to all residential construction by state law, but they openly stated that they intend to lobby other municipalities and the state to spread this idea. Don't think that they wouldn't ban gas from all residential construction if they were given the statutory authority.

As of December 27th, PSE reports 7000 households without electricity. These outages are concentrated around Sedro-Woolley where it is currently 9 degrees. Roads are essentially impassable without 4WD. People in outage areas who have only electricity are in a real bind. They have no furnace, no stove, and no hot water. Meanwhile, people with gas/propane can cook a hot meal and take a hot bath, since gas water heaters do not require external power. Those fortunate enough to have wood stoves are toasty.

While we struggle with bone-chilling temperatures, what is to become of people left freezing in the dark? If they can't make it to a warming shelter because they are snowbound, is their best option to eat cold canned food and to hunker under a mountain of quilts? Will some of them bring outdoor grills inside for the warmth? Approximately 17 people die every year from doing exactly that. Many more die of hypothermia.

Fortunately, we aren't having power outages here in Shoreline, but we have the tree canopy to take down the power lines if windy conditions develop. What happens then?

Robustness matters when it comes to household energy sources. A single source of energy can be dangerous when that source fails, and electricity tends to fail at the most inopportune times. Able-bodied people will trudge through the snow to find a warming shelter. How many of our frail, elderly, and/or disabled can do the same? If their phone runs out of power, they could even find themselves unable to call for help.

A poorly conceived law like Ordinance 948 has consequences. Instead of spending so much energy dabbling in state and national climate policy, the City Council needs to narrow its focus and consider how its citizens survive emergencies.

Dan Adams

Shoreline

Case updates December 29, 2021

The omicron variant is extremely contagious and is surging in all 50 states.

If you are vaccinated / boosted the symptoms are relatively mild.

If you are not vaccinated - now is the time.

If you initially got a Johnson and Johnson vaccine, you need to get boosted with Pfizer or Moderna. J/J apparently is only effective for a couple of months and is no longer being recommended.

If you started with Moderna, Pfizer is ok for a booster and may even give you an advantage. Moderna is testing out well but supplies seem to be limited.

COVID-19 Updates

United States

Total cases 53,275,589 - 431,567 new
Cases in past 7 days - 1,940,690
Total deaths 818,444 - 2,105 new

Washington State

Total confirmed cases 741,415 - 3,763 new
Total hospitalizations 45,242 - 172 new
Statewide ICU occupancy by COVID-19 patients - 15.5%
Total deaths 9,839 - 17 new

Levels of Community Transmission:

based on the number of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past 7 days:

High: ≥ 100

Substantial: 50-99

Moderate: 10-49

Low: < 10

King county

Total confirmed cases 186,973 - 1,799 new
Cases in past 7 days - 12,954
Total hospitalizations 9,112 - 39 new
Total deaths 2,157 - 1 new
Level of community transmission HIGH

Seattle

Total confirmed cases 48,222 - 618 new
Cases in past 7 days - 4,301
Total hospitalizations 1,921 - 12 new
Total deaths 527 - 1 new
Level of community transmission HIGH

Shoreline

Total confirmed cases 4,055 - 49 new
Cases in past 7 days - 254
Total hospitalizations 256 - 0 new
Total deaths 115 - 0 new
Level of community transmission: HIGH

Lake Forest Park

Total confirmed cases 680 - 2 new
Cases in past 7 days - 57
Total hospitalizations 23 - 0 new
Total deaths 5 - 0 new
Level of community transmission: HIGH

Who has the longest icicles?

Photo by Pam Cross

These are 40 inches long, from the side of the house with no gutters.

Photo by Gidget Terpstra

Not going to ask anyone to get close enough to measure these.

Photo by Marisa Lang

And another contender!

Anyone else ?

Flags at half-staff December 29, 2021

Flag Lowering - 12/29/21 (Senator Harry Reid)

Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation, Governor Inslee hereby directs that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities continue to remain lowered to half-staff, in honor and remembrance of former United States Senator Harry Reid.

Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business or sunset on the day of his interment, which will be confirmed at a later date.

Please call (360) 902-4118 if you have any questions about this flag lowering.

Winter wonderland

Brad Tenney in his back yard. Photo by Krista Tenney

Yes the driving is terrible. Yes it's a stretch to get all the unsheltered inside. Yes there are many problems that come with prolonged, freezing weather.

But it is beautiful. Krista and Brad Tenney's Shoreline garden is lovely under any circumstances, but it's a fairyland in the snow.

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