The Cromwell Park Grand Opening!

Cromwell Park is new "jewel in the crown" of Shoreline Parks!

Hundreds of neighbors, staff and celebrants gathered at Grand Opening
photo credit-Janet Way

And a good time was had by all........

Permanent plaque will be mounted and displayed

KC Councilmember Bob Ferguson congratulates Dick Deal and City of Shoreline
on completing this long term goal of refurbishing a former KC Park

Cromwell Park is a delight and a wonderful addition to central Shoreline.  Monday, August 30th was the Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening. Hundreds of visitors and celebrants participated. The weather was perfect for the evening celebration. A "blues" band, "Miles from Chicago" entertained the guests and everyone seemed to enjoy the evening thoroughly.

The Cromwell Park Project was undertaken after voters approved the 2006 Parks Bond.  Shoreline City Council approved the project after and extensive public process in 2007. It is a  combined projected for Parks and Public Works with funding from both budgets and grant funding as well. The intention was to improve the park which had previously been home to Cromwell Elementary School and then King County Courthouse, which also created the Park. For many years it was a "bifurcated" site, with the Courthouse (including an ugly detention pond with a chain link fence), a very dry and neglected ballfield, and a disconnected wetland and wooded section. The wetland and bog site had long ago been filled to create the site for the school. It is located between Meridian Ave N and Corliss Ave at 179th N. Parking is available all around.

Budget

• $1 million Park Bond Levy
• $650,000 Surface Water Utility Fund
• $50,000 King County
  Youth Sports Facility Grant
• $60,000 King County Waterworks Grant
• Additional Repair and Replacement Funds
• Additional Trail Corridor Funds
• 1% for the Arts

Since this is one of the most upstream headwaters of Thornton Creek where flooding is a common problem, the site was selected for a park makeover which would include restored wetlands with infiltration ponds.

Parks Director Dick Deal and designer Peggy Gaynor congratulate each other

Parks Project Director, Maureen Collaizi  congratulates Susan Black and Peg Gaynor
who headed up the design team. Peggy Gaynor has extensive experience with watershed
restorations, including the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel and
Ravenna and Madrona Creek
Daylighting projects

Parks Director Dick Deal stated that over 400 trees were planted in the project and over 2.5 acre feet of wetland detention was provided by the project. Ronald Bog will benefit from this detention capacity when in large storm events. 

The project provided a vast improvement in "wetland function, with infiltration ponds which are all planted with thousands of native wetland plants, such as hard stem bullrush, red osier dogwood, native ash, cedar and even lupine, which will bloom even more next summer.

lupine planted around pond

Infiltration ponds are planted with an array of native wetland plants such as ask, red osier dogwood,
bullrush and lupine (view looking S towards church next door)

The Park also features an amphitheater, gazebo, ball field, basketball court, playground, picnic areas

and walking trails, which provide passive and active recreation opportunities for many residents of all ages.

playground and sports fields are clustered together
for families' convenience

City Staff awarded Manager Bob Olander a commemorative photo collage of all of the 2006 Parks Bond Projects completed to date. The Parks bond for about 19 million has been a huge success with many
projects around town now completed

Young soccer teams watch the presentation anxious to get playin'!

The event was attended by many elected officials, present and past and parks board members 

and city staff.

Souvenir Ribbon pieces from the ribbon cutting displayed
by l to r - Rep Maralyn Chase, former Mayor Cindy Ryu,
Norma Mayfield, Parks Bdmbr Boni Biery, former Clmbr Janet Way

Officials unveil commemorative plaque for Cromwell Park at ceremony

Your Voice-It Matters on the Museum Issue

Rally for OUR Shoreline Historical Museum
February 2010
photo credit-Steve Schneider

Many citizens who have been working day and night to save the Shoreline Historical Museum are wondering when YOU will speak out? 

Kids from Shoreline Area will ask "Why didn't the grown-ups
stop the destruction of our Museum?"

A lot of Museum supporters HAVE stood up for it, but many others, who are too confused have been silent lately. They may think it's too scary to speak out and question the Shoreline School District actions thinking "They must know what they are doing?" or "Even though this seems all wrong, there must be some good reason the School District is taking away our Museum".

Many brave citizens showed up in July to tell our
King County Executive about this important matter

But YOUR VOICE still matters. You can speak up to your School Board, your City Council, your King County Council. It's YOUR tax dollars that are going to be used to destroy the Shoreline Historical Museum.  

Does "This Place Matter"? Does the heart of Shoreline matter? Does having YOUR history preserved in the place it was intended to be located matter? 

YOU can do something! YOU can hold your elected officials accountable. 

It's YOUR "dime" people, YOUR Values and YOUR Heritage.

Betsy Ross Flag created by a woman of uncommon courage

YOU can write a letter to the School Board http://www.shorelineschools.org/school_board/
or how about a letter to the Editor of Shoreline Area News?
Shoreline AreaNews ;
http://www.shorelineareanews.com/search/label/letters

Does "This Place Matter"? YOU can decide with your voice or your silence! 

Images from Last Sunday's Incredible Feast Fundraiser for Neighborhood Farmers Markets at University Heights

Magnificent torte with figs, grapes and apricots
was one of the choices for the Desert Dash 

Last Sunday several hundred were treated to gourmet fare at the 

"Incredible Feast", which was held at University Heights Center parking lot under huge tents. 

Local Chefs and Farmers teamed up to showcase local farm products.

Brent Olson of Olson Farms shows off several of the 22 varieties of potatoes he grows.
 Chef Anthony from Steelhead created a beautiful potato salad 

Many elegant dishes we sampled along with local wines, beers and cheese. And the weather cooperated for a lovely evening.

Local peppers featured by farmer Kurt Tonnamaker

Local berries from Hayton Farms are highlighted in this beautiful desert

Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance thanks all who participated and donated to the
Good Farmer Fund.

Elegant beet salad was a stand out

Beautiful display of produce and blue berries

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS WONDERFUL EVENT!  Nearly 400 guests enjoyed an evening of fantastic food, wine, games, desserts and live music - and sunny weather to boot. 

Conceived by local celebrity chef Tamara Murphy, this event is one of Seattle's premier food events and showcases a fantastic variety of local flavors, all prepared using fresh farm ingredients.  28 OF SEATTLE'S BEST CHEFS team up with 30 local family farms to create unique dishes especialy for this event - all to supprt the Good Farmer Fund and the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance.

Held outdoors in a farmers market setting, guests sample over 30 gourmet dishes, enjoy excellent local (Salmon Safe certified) wines and beers, and meet the chefs and farmers behind the food.  The event also features country-fair-style gameswith fabulous prizes, live music and an astounding dessert auction.  All proceeds from the event support the Good Farmer Fund (emergency relief for local farmers in need) and the NFMA's educational programing (helping consumers learn about the benefits of supporting local, sustainable farms).  

Molly and Kira, NMFA staff are happy the event went well!

Farmers like to have fun too!

Next Solar Cooker Workshop-Saturday

You are invited to attend a

SOLAR COOKER BUILDING WORKSHOP 

Last Workshop in Shoreline
Now Folks are busy cooking with sunshine.

Saturday, August 28th   10am -1pm 

University Heights Community Center by the farmer's market

5031 University Way NE

Seattle, WA 98105

Beets, Carrots, and Potatoes with rosemary ready to bask in the sun today!  8/25/10

Tom Sponheim, instructor

Learn about solar cooking and make your own solar oven!

You will be amazed at how easy it is to get started cooking solar!

You can also purify water and can food in a solar oven, so this skill could come in handy.

Some of the vendors at the farmer's market are donating veggies 

for us to solar cook and sample at the class!

-----------

$10 materials fee enters you in a drawing 

for a really nice solar cooking pot donated by Solar Cookers International

No one will be turned away for inability to pay

Please RSVP so we know how many materials to purchase.

lstein@clearwire.net

-----------

We will organize a solar cook out later in the summer.

Below are fliers to print out and post. Please help to spread the word.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Linda Stein

----------------------------------

ps. Also, stop by and see us at the Appel Farms Cheese  Booth at University Farmers Market outside

Paper Wasps- Wildlife Sighting

Wasps serve important purposes in the natural world. 

The paper wasp looks somewhat like a yellow jacket, but is much less aggressive. Wasps are predators on other insects, such as catapillars. They are a valuable part of our ecosystems.
http://www.articlesbase.com/p-articles/yellow-jacket-paper-wasp-or-what-2363785.html

If you discover a wasp nest, try to live with it. But, if it's a concern there are "Intergated Pest Management" services that will relocate the nest for you. Or there are non-toxic ways of catching the insects and diverting them from your living areas.

Once the wasps leave the nest for the season, they make fascinating educational items to share with children.


Courtesy of Shoreline Area News -

WASPs in Shoreline Posted: 26 Aug 2010 12:34 AM PDT About the size of a basketball.  Photo by Christine Goodrich. Thanks to the Goodrich family for sharing this photo of their WASP tenants. The WASPs moved into a tree in their front yard during the beginning of summer. The family first noticed the nest on August 3 when it was "about the size of a basketball."  Photo by Christine Goodrich They are enjoying watching it grow - from a safe distance. The photo on the right was taken from directly underneath the nest.  These are often called "Paper Wasps" because their nests are made of material which resembles thin sheets of gray paper.  If the nest is undisturbed, the workers will continue to add layers of "paper" to the outside of the nest.

Update on Election Results- 8/24

 WA Secretary of State provides latest results in the Primary Election.


The Elections Department is still counting. Absentee ballots take a long time to count because of interpreting irregularities on each ballot.

(Red Type represents candidate with leading numbers)

http://vote.wa.gov/Elections/WEI/Results.aspx?ElectionID=36&JurisdictionTypeID=5&JurisdictionID=63437&ViewMode=Results

County Results

Last updated on 8/24/2010 4:30 PM

Legislative District 32, State Senator (Partisan office, 4-year term)

Patty Butler                          3842           12.45 %

Maralyn Chase                  14,684           47.60 %

David Baker                      12,323           39.95 %

Total Votes                       30,849         100.00%

County Results

Last updated on 8/24/2010 4

AArt:30 PM

Legislative District 32, State Representative Pos. 1 (Partisan office, 2-year term

Art Coday                            11,606   37.80 %

  
    Cindy Ryu                  12,966             42.23 %


     Doris Fujioka McConnell      6,128             19.96 %


    Total Votes                            30,700           100.00% 

County Results Last updated on 8/24/2010 4:30 PM Legislative District 32, State Representative Pos. 2 (Partisan office, 2-year term)

Stan Lippman                              2,402              7.78 %


Gary Gagliardi                           11,047             35.79 % 


Ruth Kagi                               17,416             56.43 %


Total Votes                                30,865            100.00%

   

SESPA Informational Demonstration at Shoreline School District

The SESPA Union which represents many types of workers such as administrative assistants, school nurses, instructional assistants and other support workers who help our students, conducted an informational pickett in front of the Shoreline Conference Center, Monday to inform the District, and passersby of their situation.

SESPA Union Workers gather to inform each other about their situation
Photo Credit-Vicki Westberg

Over 100 members of SESPA gathered with handmade signs to tell the public about their situation.
They marched along First Ave and N 185th in Shoreline to stand up for their rights.

They are engaged in contract talks currently, but the District and Mediator called off talks till September 10th. The workers are asking for a contract in which they do not lose ground. They are calling attention to the big raises granted to administrators as workers work days are being cut and budgets are being slashed.

Students Before Bond Ratings says one sign at rally
photo credit-Vicki Westberg

About ten of their members and another five spoke at the School Board meeting to express their concerns about the policies of the School District towards workers.

They are calling on the School Board and Superintendent for fairness in their contract talks.
Their motto is -
Our living wage motto is Respected, Valued, Paid. We want to work to live not live to work!


Here is a link to the SESPA Blog for more information.

Shoreline Education Support Professionals Association

The Shoreline Educational Support Professional Association (SESPA) is the professional association representing approximately 313 classified educators in the Shoreline School District.

http://sespaunion.blogspot.com/2010/04/welcome-to-sespa-blog.html

Over 100 SESPA members demonstrated in from of the Shoreline School District Monday
photo credit-Janet Way