City of Shoreline Warns Parks Users to Stay Safe

City Warning to "Stay off The Ice" at Local Ponds. 

Thin Ice at Paramount Park

Even though it is record cold today, the ice is not likely to be thick enough to support people or pets.


Please stay safe and steer clear of the pond ice!   Play it safe!

The ice is pretty but not strong enough for "skating".

4-5 Inches Here at Paramount Park

Looks like about 4 to 5" out there

Sun peaking through the trees at 8am
photo credit-Janet Way

Icicles this morning on the window facing east
photo credit-Janet Way

So it seems like a lot of snow, considering it is before Thanksgiving. And of course it's pretty cold out, so a good idea to keep pets inside if possible.

But, checking the historical record, this is pretty small potatoes.
Shoreline Historical Museum 
has some fascinating snow pictures archived.

Title:	Bessie B restaurant  in the snow, Richmond Highlands,  1948
Photographer:	Unknown
Date:	1948
Caption:	Bessie B.'s was a popular cafe  at Aurora Avenue North and  North 184th Street. The  building became occupied by  the Monarch Appliance store. [Source of caption:  Shoreline Historical Museum Staff].

Title:

Bessie B restaurant 
in the snow, Richmond Highlands, 
1948

Photographer:

Unknown

Date:

1948

Caption:

Bessie B.'s was a popular cafe 
at Aurora Avenue North and 
North 184th Street. The 
building became occupied by 
the Monarch Appliance store.
[Source of caption: 
Shoreline Historical Museum Staff].

Title:	Echo Lake panorama showing  Emme house in the foreground, ca. 1927
Photographer:	Pierson Photo Company
Date:	ca. 1927
Caption:	South side of Echo Lake. Emme house  is pictured in front center.  Interurban tracks are pictured  to the far right. [Source of caption: handwriting on verso.] (editorial comment - from the looks  of this photo it doesn't look like a huge  snow storm, maybe comparable to todays -JW)

Title:

Echo Lake panorama showing 
Emme house in the foreground, ca. 1927

Photographer:

Pierson Photo Company

Date:

ca. 1927

Caption:

South side of Echo Lake. Emme house 
is pictured in front center. 
Interurban tracks are pictured 
to the far right.
[Source of caption: handwriting on verso.]

(editorial comment - from the looks 
of this photo it doesn't look like a huge 
snow storm, maybe comparable to todays -JW)

History Link has cool pictures of historic blizzards. 
Paul Dorpat provides fascinating photos and descriptions.

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=3681

Downtown Seattle, looking east on Cherry Street during the Big Snow, January 1880
Courtesy Paul Dorpat





Snow storm on Green Lake, February 1916
Courtesy Paul Dorpat



Ballard, 1916
Postcard


Here's the story on 1916

The Big Snow of 1916
When the big snow of 1916 began to fall on a cold Monday on January 31, 1916, there may have been more cameras than shovels in the hands of amateurs. The flurry of snapshots of our second greatest snowstorm illustrate snow-stopped streetcars, closed schools, closed libraries, closed theaters, closed bridges, a clogged waterfront, collapsed roofs, and -- most sensationally --  the great dome of St. James Cathedral, which landed in a heap in the nave and choir of the sanctuary. (There were no injuries to persons.)
The unusually cold January already had 23 inches of snow on the ground when, on the last day of the month, it began to fall relentlessly. Between 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 1 and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2, 21.5 inches accumulated in the Central Business District at the Weather Bureau in the Hoge Building. This remains (in 2002) a record -- our largest 24-hour pile.
The 1916 snow was a wet snow, and it came to a foul end -- a mayhem of mud that mutilated bridges and carried away homes.

Depression Skaters and Wartime Kidders
Although not regular, a Green Lake freeze is considerably more common than one on Lake Union. In both February 1929 and January 1930, the lesser (Green) lake froze over, to the joy of skaters who scrounged for clamp-on skates. Many skated past midnight. For warmth they visited the bonfires set in trashcans on the ice.
On Friday, January 15, 1943, snow began falling in Seattle, accumulating to a foot in depth, but what was obvious to residents could not be reported in the media. Wartime restrictions on information prohibited weather reports. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer had some fun with the regulations: "The thermometer changed its position more than somewhat Friday night and a lot of restricted military information fell in the streets of Seattle and vicinity early yesterday morning..." Stores and schools closed and so did many of the city's wartime industries.

Ooops! More Snow Than They Expected and Now Wind and Ice!

So the weather stations said it wouldn't be that bad! But apparently it's getting pretty nasty out there.

Today was just a lovely peaceful walk in the snow. But tonite things are getting dicey. 


We now have about 3" at Paramount Park at 8:30 pm. 
(if you have any photos send me some!)

Here's the latest from local Meteorologist Cliff Mass -
http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/

Thing are really getting interesting now. See the surface chart above at 2 PM. The low center is MUCH stronger than the model's predicted. Around 999 mb and is now located over the Olympic Peninsula...as a result southwesterly winds are picking up in the south Sound and the northerlies are strengthening to the north. The collided airstreams are causing enhanced vertical motion and precipitation. Look at the radar...a line of very heavy reflectivities...and snow intensities has formed south of Seattle. Strong northerly flow is now striking the northern portion of the Olympic Peninsula and very heavy snow is falling on its northern side (6-10 inches so far in some places!!!!)

The show is not over yet.

Here is a neat time-lapse of snow in Silverdale. Looking west across Hood Canal
http://www.drdale.com/lapse/lapse101122.mov
Courtesy of Dale Ireland

Now That's Some Real Snow!

About 2 Inches of "Real Snow" in 

Shoreline So Far as of 4pm, November 22nd.

Real Snowfall in Paramount Park on Hemlock Grove

Reflections in "Upper Pond" are

especially beautiful in the snow

Upper Pond at Paramount Park is a restored

wetland with "Large Woody Debris"

placed as wildlife habitat. Sure makes a

pretty scene too!

Paramount Park is a "Headwaters Wetland" and contains one of the largest wetlands in Shoreline at over 6.5 acres. PPNG

did the restoration project over 10 years ago and created two wetland ponds and replanted nearly 3 acres with native plants.

Littles Creek doesn't mind the snow a bit!

It is a tributary and headwaters of Thornton Creek, the largest watershed

in Shoreline and Seattle

NW Native Plants don't mind the snow at all.

Sword fern gully makes a nice image.

Went for a nice walk and Paramount Park is a real star in the snow. 

Couple enjoys the view at the "lower pond" in the pre-Thanksgiving Snowfall

Two neighborhood children enjoying the snow with all five senses!

So get out there and enjoy the beautiful scenes around Shoreline in this rare November show!

Early Snowfall - A Brief Bit of Winter Before Thanksgiving

Early Snow on Nov 21st, view at Paramount Park
photo credit-Janet Way

A Fleeting Glimpse of Early Snow in Shoreline This Morning 

Can you see the snow? Very elusive to capture in a photo.
Almost a dream.

If you click on the photos you can see the snow, really!

And more snow!

Early snow, late hydrangeas
photo credit - Janet Way

Now you can see it! 

Ronald School - The Hearing

"Certificate of Appropriateness" Decision Rendered - 
The "Shoreline" Landmarks Commission held the Hearing 
last night at the Richmond Masonic Hall

Decision? To allow the proposed impacts to the Historic Landmarked Ronald School (1912).

Is anyone surprised? Not really. 

Shoreline Landmarks Commission prepares for the hearing

There was a panel of THREE members, none of which were representing Shoreline. It was considered a "quorum", because the fourth member, Brian Rich was present at the beginning and then "recused himself" from voting and attending and left, because he works for Bassetti, the architecture firm that is doing the design for Shorewood.

There were at least 70 people attending the hearing. Thirty citizens spoke at the hearing, about half and half, pro and con for the project. Bassetti gave about a half-hour presentation at the beginning. 

Over 70 Interested Citizens and many staff and
School Board Members attended, 2nd fr R is
SSD Superintendent Sue Walker

The Director of King County Historic Preservation, Julie Koler explained that the commission would only consider information in the decision, about the Landmarked sections of the school which include, all FOUR sides of the exterior and the 15 foot perimeter area of the property beyond and up to N 175th, including the walkway.  

The building was previously "Landmarked" in 2008. The proposal, is to "gut" the insides of the building,  (which was not landmarked) and connect the new school on the south facing side and encase the oldest section of the back wall in transparent material. The windows will all be replaced with wooden sashes like they were earlier in the 20th Century, but those on the rear side would be then filled in with some masonry to "protect them". No explanation was given about the actual use of the building in the  plan.

Nancy Callery of Bassetti gave the presentation to the  panel. There had previously been a Design Review process, in which a certificate was signed saying that both the owners and applicant and the Design Review Committee agreed that the required "Criteria" were met, by the proposal. But, no one was informed of this process in advance, hence no other side of the story was told.

SSD Superintendent Sue Walker gave a short statement at the beginning using the District's chosen theme "Honor the Past while we celebrate the future". This theme was repeated many times by other representatives of the District including David Wilson, Mike Jacobs, and Maren Norton who proudly proclaimed she in a "Thunderbird" (graduate of Shorewood). Her mother, Geneva Norton also spoke and stated that she had served on the "Design Team" of the Shorewood project.

Many other citizens spoke, both Pro and Con and were very passionate.  

The Shoreline Preservation Society had five members speak. (In full disclosure, I am serving as president of this organization.) We also asked that an impressive letter by Kate Krafft, an expert on preservation, who had also written the Landmarks Application originally and had previously served as expert staff at the KCHP, be read into the record. Her letter stated quite unequivocally, that the criteria had NOT been met and that

"...I believe that the conclusions included in this report regarding adherence to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are incorrect.

Another expert who spoke was Flo Lentz of 4Culture. She said that 4Culture has invested a substantial amount of grant funding in the Museum's programs. She also posed some questions of the panel such as, "If you had to Landmark this entire building in the future (if the whole HS project is completed as proposed, and the Ronald School is altered as planned) would the building still be eligible for Landmarking then?"

Many of the school advocates felt that the Ronald School was just old an in the way, others said they wanted to "honor history" by repurposing the school back to classrooms for "educational purposes"

This was a bizarre argument (in my editorial opinion) because of course the Museum has served a highly educational purpose for children and adults for 35 years.

But many, many folks spoke passionately about the value of the Ronald School building to our heritage.

Two of the original students who attended Ronald School spoke. Helen Oltman and Jean Wren spoke of their sadness to see this project happen.

The public comment went on until past 9:30pm.  The Commissioners discussed their opinions, and it was clear there was little difference of opinion. Mr Stephen Day (who had also served as Chair of the Design Review Committee) made the motion to approve the COA.

Needless to say, the Shoreline School District supporters were very pleased. 

But, though they were disappointed, Shoreline Preservation Society members expressed a sense that the public hearing has served a good purpose to finally air some of the facts and feelings about the project. The Society is urging citizens who care about Preserving Shoreline to stay in touch.

Shoreline Preservation Society - Call to Action

The Shoreline Preservation Society has a mission. 

It is a new non-profit which seeks:

"to foster the preservation of historical heritage, cultural and environmental assets throughout the Shoreline Area". 

SPS urges all citizens of the Shoreline Area who care about our cultural and historical heritage, environment and community values to unite to protect the Landmarked Ronald School. 

Tonite YOU can make a difference. 

This will be the ONLY Public Hearing

on the "Certificate of Appropriateness" for the proposed impacts to the Historic Ronald School.

When: Wednesday, November 17th,

Time: 7pm

Where: Richmond Masonic Temple (a newly Landmarked building as well!)

N 185th and Linden Ave N

parking available at Fred Meyer store 

(if you cannot attend, you can still send a letter (email) to the Landmarks Commission)

c/o Todd Scott ;

As President of the Shoreline Preservation Society I urge you to attend, to stand up for what is right and

speak out for accountability from the Shoreline School District for what they've done.

In order to preserve this historical heritage today, we wish to remind all people who care about our communities cultural assets to attend tonight's official Public Hearing of the Shoreline Landmarks Commission for the "Certificate of Appropriateness" of alterations being proposed to the 1912

Landmarked Ronald School. The hearing will be held at 7pm at the recently landmarked, Richmond Masonic Temple at N 185th Street and Linden Avenue N.

Parking is available at the Fred Meyer store.

It is imperative that citizens who care about history of our community attend this hearing and speak out. The Commission will be deciding its fate, because the Certificate of Appropriateness is required by Shoreline Municipal Code 15.20. All four sides of the building were Landmarked in 2008 because it is a unique and rare example, of a stand-alone, "intact" semi-rural schoolhouse. 

Now the Shoreline School District proposes to permanently alter this historic building, by building a massive new HS, attached it to the rear of the building, and gutting the interior. This proposal goes against the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Despite the community's repeated requests and the Rules of Procedure of the Landmarks Commission, the SSD never presented a reasonable alternative that would not impact the building. 

As citizens know, the Shoreline Historical Museum has been the steward of this Historic Building and was responsible for its Landmarked status. They have been forced to sell the building and are now prohibited by the settlement and gag order from speaking in its behalf. So it is up to the citizens like you and me to be the advocates for this unique community asset. It has been included in our Community Vision and the Town Center planning process.

The Shoreline Preservation Society urges all citizens who care about this irreplaceable asset to show up tonight and speak out on its behalf. 

This is the moment to make a difference. It is the ONLY public hearing on this matter. 

Thank you for caring.

Janet Way, President 

Shoreline Preservation Society