Indian Sweets & Spices in Shoreline's North City

Have you seen the Indian grocery store at 180th and 15th in the North City neighborhood of Shoreline? The sign above the door reads Indian Sweets & Spices. Although I've passed by there many times before, I'd never been inside until this evening.

I took some photos of the interior of the store and some of the items for sale and I bought a variety of freshly-made Indian sweets. Delicious!

I would say that if you're interested in Indian foods, beverages, and household items (or Indian music and movies, for that matter), you should check this place out. Here are a few photos and a link (below) to see more.

Exterior of the store

A variety of henna products

Basmati rice by the sackful

Dried lemons

Incense and incense burners

Freshly-made Indian sweets!

Nice Time

Link to more photos of the Indian Sweets & Spices grocery in Shoreline

Link to photos & reviews of the store's homemade sweets

Indian Sweets & Spices is at 18002 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155
Phone number: 206-367-4568

Have you shopped here? Anything in particular you'd recommend? Please let us know by clicking where it says 'comments'

Free electronics recycling begins January 1, 2009

This modern life is fantastic, but of course produces a lot of electronic waste. Old TVs, computers, etc, contain hazardous chemicals and need to be disposed of responsibly. Doing that is going to get a little easier on January 1st, thanks to the WA State Dept. of Ecology's E-Cycle program.


From a press release:

Washington residents looking to safely get rid of old computers and TVs can do so for free when a new statewide recycling program begins next year.

A state law that starts Jan. 1 allows consumers to bring unwanted computer monitors, laptops and TVs to 200 permanent collection sites at no charge.

The Washington law passed in 2006 was the first to require manufacturers to be responsible for recycling electronic waste, which end up in the landfill and can seep lead, mercury and other toxic chemicals into the environment.


Much more information about the program, including drop-off locations at the E-Cycle website.

Link to E-Cycle Washington website

Now that Christmas is over...

..it's the perfect time to buy Christmas stuff! This is TOP Food and Drug in Shoreline. Many prices have been discounted 2 or 3 times. They really want to get rid of this stuff.

Your new best friend might be in this cart!

As long as you're buying chocolate kisses anyway... :)

Gifts for the pets


Elvis candy is appropriate year-round.
Stock up now!

By the way, TOP's parking lot is pretty clear. Wish I could say the same for the parking lot at the Shoreline Library. That thing is still a huge mess. I'm surprised they haven't had it plowed.

Oh, and one more thing about TOP - check this out: if you purchase an item and it rings up at a higher price than the posted price you get that item for free. Well, I'm assuming that's their policy based on what happened to me today. I bought some candy (on post-Christmas sale). It rang up a dollar higher than it should have. When I talked to the person at customer service, she refunded not just the extra dollar, but the entire purchase price! Now that's what I call good customer service.

From us to you!

Here's hoping you have a lovely holiday, stay warm and dry, and get to spend some time with the people (and animals!) you love the most.

Merry Christmas Shoreline!

This isn't a Christmas song, but it is lovely, sounds kind of Christmassy, and seems appropriate, somehow. John McCutcheon plays "Leviathan" on hammered dulcimer. Check it out.



John McCutcheon will be performing in Seattle on Friday, February 27, 2009.

Link to more info about John McCutcheon's concert in February

Shoreline's own mysterious mima mounds

Okay, maybe they're not really mima mounds, but it's the closest thing we've got in Shoreline. See them while you can! :)

I took this photo last night on 175th, just east of I-5.

Link to Mima Mounds at Wikipedia

Link to a radio story about mima mounds at KUOW 94.9 Seattle

Several Metro buses stuck on Shoreline roads

There are currently two Metro buses stuck at the intersection of N. 192nd and Wallingford Ave. N., shown here. One is a 358, and the other did not have its route sign on, so I'm not sure what it was. A bystander who lives in the area said that at least one bus had been there since 8 a.m.

As we approached, a Metro vehicle was coming up the road to assist (but it would clearly not be able to tow either bus).

One bus had lost a chain, and both are blocking the intersection, which has an oval-shaped roundabout, making it effectively impossible for cars to get through.



There was also at least one other bus stuck at the intersection of 185th and Hwy. 99, blocking 185th. People were forced to turn into the Bartell's/strip mall parking lot to get around the buses. A second bus, a block or so back, was also unable to get through.

You can see the stuck bus towards the left of this photo. We weren't able to see either bus route number.

All the side roads are still tough to navigate, though we did see a City of Shoreline snowplow on 180th at around 11 a.m. - still, it would be best to stay home if you can!

Link to Metro bus alert for Monday morning.

Another Shoreline weather station; Echo Lake

Here's another local weather station, "Michael's Weather," in the Echo Lake area. This one uses the Lightsoft weather software, and tracks temperature, dewpoint, wind chill, wind speed, and several other data points.

The owner does note, in small type, that the precipitation numbers may not be accurate when there's snow, because he hasn't installed a rain gauge heater, but there's still a lot of interesting information there for those interested in local weather forecasting.

Link to Michael's weather station

Lots of busses not running today

I know Metro route 373 (Shoreline to the UW) has been suspended today. Lots of other bus routes are listed on the Metro page below.

Link to see if your bus is running today

Central Market Weather Station

Did you know that Central Market has its own weather station?

There's a little weather station antenna on top of the building, apparently near the flagpole. It's connected to a Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station system, which uses a rain collector, temperature and humidity sensors, and anemometer to forecast the weather.

Visitors to the site, one of three that Central Market operates, will see a detailed local weather page, which includes rainfall statistics, wind velocity and direction, current and historical temperature data, and an animated radar image.

What a great way to get local weather info!

According to the site, the purpose of the site and station "is to provide a service and a bit of entertainment to our customers. Our business is significantly affected by weather, and many of our customers drive long distances to get to our store."

Link to the Shoreline Weather Site.

Cromwell park in the snow

Happy Solstice, Shoreline!

Shoreline family provides shoes to the needy through SoleSalvation

SoleSalvation was born from the experience of seeing first hand families living in a dump in Mexico, and struggling for everyday needs. What we noticed was their lack of shoes to even be able to safely walk around the dump. Food and water sources are donated, but not shoes. We wanted to make a difference in their everyday lives. (from the SoleSalvation website)

SoleSalvation was founded and is run by Shoreline resident James Ronald. If you want to learn more about the project, click the links below.

Link to SoleSalvation

Link to Donors show generosity from head to toe (Seattle P-I)

Shoreline Schools will be closed Friday Dec. 19, 2008

Shoreline Schools will be closed Friday, December 19. All meetings, parent conferences, field trips, after-school activities and athletics will be cancelled for the day. The Shoreline Children's Center and its programs are also closed.

(info from Shoreline Schools website)

FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: Shoreline Community College also closed today

Link to Shoreline Schools website

Link to Shoreline Community College

How are you doing in the snow, Shoreline?

I hope you're reading this from the comfort of your warm home. Today might have been really challenging for you, or a fun day off sledding with the kids on empty roads. Did you try to make it in to work, and if so, how was your drive?

Leave us a note in the comments; we'd love to hear how you coped with the snow. And if you have any photos you'd like to share, we'll post them here on the blog (email them to ronaldbogblog@gmail.com).

You might want to check us out on Twitter, too; we're getting tweets from people around Shoreline with info about the snow in their neighborhood. Remember that the Department of Transportation also uses Twitter, and they've been good about providing up-to-date roads information.

Here are a few other links that you might find helpful as this winter gears up:
Weather forecast for Shoreline
Seattle Metro Bus site (they have important alerts about bus route issues)
Shoreline School District (has school closure information)
Regional Public Information Network (breaking news and alerts for King, Pierce and Snohomish counties)
WSDOT's Blog
Traffic Info and Cameras (site has been very slow as everyone in the area is using it)
City of Shoreline site (for more local information)
The Seattle P.I. (pretty frequently updated news and weather)

Any other news sources you'd like to mention? Let us know and we'll add them. And don't forget to send those photos in. And...enjoy the snow!

Here's a short video of my (Bernard's) bus ride home from work this afternoon. This was taken from the window of the 373 on 5th Ave. As you can see, the road was still covered in snow and ice. This was at about 4:30pm today...

Tonight's Planning Comission meeting cancelled

A note from the City of Shoreline:

Tonight's Planning Commission meeting has been canceled due to the snow.

About the Planning Commission

The Planning Commission consists of nine residents and/or property owners appointed by the City Council to address land use and planning issues. Meetings are held generally the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Mt. Rainier Room at the Shoreline Center. The Planning Commission provides regular opportunities for the public to comment on matters of interest.

Learn more about the Planning Comission here.
City of Shoreline Events Calendar here.

Shoreline Schools closed today: Thursday Dec 18, 2008

Shoreline Schools will be closed Thursday, December 18. All meetings, including parent conferences, field trips, after-school activities and athletics are canceled for the day. The Shoreline Children's Center is also closed.

(info from Shoreline Schools website)

Link to Shoreline Schools website

Ronald Bog blog is now on Twitter

Do you Twitter? If so, here's another way you can keep up with Shoreline - follow us on Twitter. This won't take the place of the blog and it won't cover everything the blog covers, but it will give us a way to send quick, short text messages to the webpage linked below (and also to the sidebar of this blog). And if you sign up with Twitter, you can get those text messages sent directly to your cell phone. Cool, huh? And it's all free (unless you pay separately for text messages on your phone).

If you don't yet know about Twitter, you might want to check it out. Click the link below to go to the site and learn more.

We're at http://twitter.com/shorelineblog

If you do Twitter, why not follow your neighborhood blog? :)

Living Wisdom School vs. proposed Shoreline jail site

Beth Frymire with Living Wisdom School writes to say:

I'd like to bring attention to how we feel about the proposed jail site and the school that is VERY close to this site. We've been doing a lot of work to try and keep people informed and active here in Shoreline. Our private school is directly across the street from the proposed site and it is on property that the kids use frequently. They use the track for PE, the fields for nature activities and other play. Last week, we did a service project and cleaned up the rubbish in that area. We care about using that space to help our students learn. Some of our students understand what a jail across the street might mean for their safety, but the majority would be disappointed to lose the fields they love and use so much.

Living Wisdom School is located at 2800 NE 200th St. in Shoreline.

If you want to contact Beth, write to nivritti@anandaseattle.org

Link to all posts about the proposed jail site in Shoreline

Shoreline Schools closed today: Wed, Dec 17

Shoreline Schools will be closed Wednesday, December 17. All meetings, including parent conferences, after-school activities and athletics will be canceled for the day. The Shoreline Children's Center is also closed.

(from the Shoreline Schools website)

Link to Shoreline Schools

Let it snow (but stay safe!)

Hi Shoreliners! How are you folks coping with our recent snowfall? Santa will still make it down our chimneys, of course, but has anyone had trouble getting to work?

The street that I live on is still icy, even though the main streets are well sanded and trouble-free. On Sunday night while we were out walking, we watched a car try to struggle up a nearby hill...and slide back down. We watched it do this three or four times, until it finally gave up and turned around in a driveway. As it did, we got close enough to see the car clearly, and it was a Shoreline police car! That road is still slick; I hoped someone at the police department would call the sanding trucks, but no.

How are the roads you live on or drive on around Shoreline? Have you noticed any problem areas, or places to avoid? Share your info in the comments area below (you can stay anonymous if you like) and let us know how you're coping with this weather. We've got more on the way, or so they say...!

How did you first find this website?

Does this look familiar?

Hi there.

Bernard here. I've been wondering lately how people find this website (the "Ronald Bog Blog"). I'm trying to evaluate the different ways we've tried to promote the site, so it would be really helpful if you'd take 30 seconds to click below this post where it says COMMENTS and let us know. Thanks in advance! :)

For instance:

* Did you find this website by a Google search for something Shoreline related?
* Did someone email you the link?
* Did you see a link to this site on another website (if so, which one)?
* Did you see a flyer posted somewhere?
* Did you see the link on a Flickr photo?
* Did Sonya or I (Bernard) personally tell you about it?
* Etc.


I'd really appreciate it if you'd answer these 5 simple questions:

1) How did you first find this site?
2) Do you live in Shoreline?
3) Do you have this site bookmarked?
4) If you do have it bookmarked, how often do you look at the site?
5) Have you told anyone else about this site?


Also, feel free to add any other comments you might have. What do you like best about the site? What do you find most interesting or useful? What could we post more (or less) of?

Thanks!

Echo Lake Elementary School is collecting food for the needy

Echo Lake Elementary School is participating in the Shoreline PTA annual food drive and needs help with donations.

"Most Wanted" items are:
Peanut butter
Pasta
Beans
Canned Soup
Condiments
Cereal
Canned Fruit
Canned Tomatoes
Canned Meat
Granola Bars

Echo Lake is donating dried or canned fruit for a PTA Council district wide project. Donations of basic items like soap, toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, detergent, baby food, are always gladly accepted. No Glass Jars or Home Canned Foods, please.

Bring donations to Echo Lake Elementary before this Friday, December 19th.
Address: 19345 Wallingford Ave N., Shoreline, WA
Phone: (206) 361-4338,

(this info is from the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association aka ELNA)

Photos: We sing for the foodbank AND snow in Shoreline!

As you know, it snowed in Shoreline yesterday! Here are a few photos. The first 2 are from Jay, taken at South Woods in Shoreline. You can see more of his snow photos via the link below.

An snow angel at Cromwell Park

A tiny snow something

The photos below document Ronald Bog blog authors and supporters singing at TOP Foods in Shoreline last night. We "sang" for an hour and TOP donated $50 to the local foodbank. We had a lot of fun doing it!

Link to see more of Jay's photos of snow in Shoreline

Link to see more photos of Ronald Bog blog singing at TOP Foods

Send your photos to ronaldbogblog@gmail.com

Ronald Bog Bloggers sing for charity tonight!

Don't forget to come over to Top Foods on 175th at 5:00pm tonight to watch your RBB Bloggers sing badly for charity!!

Shoreline Fire Department is collecting toys for needy kids

From their site:
For over 20 years, Shoreline Fire Department has helped hundreds of Shoreline families during the holiday season. Please help us continue this tradition by donating a new toy for a less fortunate child. We are currently accepting donations at any of our stations.

Link to Shoreline Fire Department

Photo is from the Shoreline Fire Department website

Shoreline's ready for the snow!

The City of Shoreline website has updated their "Winter Storm Warning" page with information about anticipated upcoming weather, and tips to keep safe in case of really severe weather.

They also have a page listing planned Snow Removal Procedures and tips for driving in icy weather.

So bundle up, keep candles and matches at hand, don't try to barbecue indoors, and bring the dogs and cats in the house. We might be in for a few inches of snow on Sunday!

Link to City of Shoreline Winter Storm Warning page
Link to City of Shoreline Snow Removal page

Decorate a gingerbread house this weekend at Central Market in Shoreline

From 11am-4pm (Dec 13 & 14) at Central Market in Shoreline. Central Market's cake decorators will have everything you need to decorate a pre-assembled gingerbread house.

"Candy Cane Dash" Dec 13th at Shoreline Stadium

Candy Cane Dash returns to Shoreline

Kick off this holiday season with a "dash" of sweetness by registering for the 5K Candy Cane Dash at Shoreline Stadium. All proceeds will go to the Shorecrest High School Cross Country Team.

The run/walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 13. Registration the day of the race begins at 8 a.m. and costs $25.

Participants of all ages can pre-register by picking up a registration form from Super Jock n'Jill, Road Runner Sports, or the main office of Shorecrest High School.Forms can be returned in person or mailed to: Shoreline Candy Cane Dash, 15466 10th Ave. NE, Shoreline, WA 98155. Registration cost is $20 for participants who register before the day of the race. Participants will receive a Candy Cane Dash T-shirt.

For more information, e-mail thecandycanedash08@gmail.com

Community hazard concerns - the City of Shoreline wants your input

A note from Gail Marsh, Shoreline Emergency Management:

The City and the Shoreline Fire Department are updating their Hazard Mitigation Plan and would really value information from the community as to what hazards that they believe they will be impacted most from, how they have prepared for them to date, and how we can improve service delivery. As part of that update we are asking our residents, people who work in Shoreline and our Community Partners to take a brief survey.

The survey is 12 questions long - click below to fill it out.

Link to All-Hazard Mitigation Survey (City of Shoreline)

Emergency Information for Shoreline WA

Updated October 2010

In case of emergency the following websites may be helpful. All are links.

U.S. government information about Swine Flu

City of Shoreline Emergency Management

Regional Public Information Network (RPIN) Breaking News

Shoreline Schools (is school starting late or cancelled?)

Metro buses adverse weather schedule information (is your bus running?)

WA State Dept of Transportation updates (how's traffic? what roads are open?)

Seattle Dept of Transportation snowstorm updates (for use during snow emergencies)

King County Emergency Phone Numbers

Free Comedy Night at Hotwire Coffee Shop: Dec 11th at 7:30pm

This cat is supposed to be laughing. :)

There is a fourth dimension of entertainment, beyond the morning drama and the dinner hour. It is a dimension as vast as our need for change we can believe in, as timeless as stories regarding religious officiators entering a drinking establishment. Something insightful, something delightful, something pretty, something witty... yes, COMEDY on a Thursday night!

This first-of-its kind holiday-season event launches what is expected to become a regular series of Thursday night performances at Hotwire. The Thursday night shows will feature many professionals that have performed at Seattle's Comedy Underground, Giggles, and Laughs in Kirkland.

The show will be hosted by Seattle-based comedian, Barbara Sehr, who has appeared on local stages, local television, and at clubs in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Atlanta.

Link to more info at the Lifting the Frog Website

Link to Hotwire Coffee

Photo by imranchaudhry via Flickr

We're raising money for the foodbank. Won't you join us?

UPDATE: See photos of this event by clicking here

In the spirit of the holidays, we here at the Ronald Bog blog are going to sing for an hour at the TOP Foods in Shoreline on Dec 13th at 5pm (mark your calendar!). The deal is - we sing for an hour and TOP will donate $50 to the local foodbank. So we thought "how can we not do that?" And you're invited to join us! Don't worry if you can't sing. We're not taking it particularly seriously and, frankly, we're not great singers - we just want to raise some money for the needy. We plan to sing mostly well known pop songs and show tunes (suggestions welcome!) and I'm going to print out lyric sheets. If you're free and want to join the fun, just show up. No rehearsal required! :)

Don't want to sing? No problem - you can still come by just to show your support and listen and say hi. We'd love to meet you!

Happy Holidays!
Bernard and Sonya

Pictures with Santa for your pets

Interested in having your pets' picture taken with Santa Claus? Red Frog Photography is having a special pets photo session on December 20th, from 11 am to 4 pm at Pets Energy in Shoreline. Owners and kids are welcome too; for only $12 (for one 4 x 6 inch print), you and your fur friends can pose with Santa!

Link to Red Frog Photography

A jail in Shoreline? Public forum to be held on Thursday Dec. 11

A public meeting this Thursday (Dec. 11, 2008 from 6-9pm) at Shoreline Community College will provide more information, answer questions and hear comments about the proposed Shoreline jail site.

From the City's website:

King County has announced that after 2012 there will no longer be space to house Shoreline’s or any other local cities’ inmates in the County’s facilities. This is due to the County’s projected increase in the felony population.

Consequently, all cities that contract with the county must replace those jail beds. Rather than plan for dozens of small, inefficient jails, Shoreline joined other cities in North and East King County (NEC) to address the problem, with the five largest cities (Principal Cities) leading the group. The Principal Cities include Shoreline, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and Seattle. The feasibility study by a consultant showed that building and operating one large jail was more cost-effective than two small jails. For Shoreline, the difference in cost would potentially be over $1million per year.

The Principal Cities then identified potential sites including at least one within their borders that could accommodate a large jail facility, and chose six to move forward in an environmental review process.

One of the six sites is in Shoreline at 2545 NE 200th Street.

Link to Regional Jail Planning page at City of Shoreline website

Link to earlier post with more news links

Map above is from Google Maps

Share you thoughts with your neighbors by clicking where it says COMMENTS

Christmas Ships at Richmond Beach park, Monday Dec 8, 2008

This years "Christmas Ship Celebration" will be held on Monday December 8th. As always, the event is held at Richmond Beach Saltwater park in Shoreline. There's coffee and cocoa, and boats playing Christmas music, but my favorite part of the event is the huge bonfires on the beach. So warm!

School choirs begin at 7:30 pm. Ships arrive at 8:20 pm.

Have you gone to the Christmas Ship Celebration in the past? If so, what did you think? Is it worth going? Post to the COMMENTS section below to share you thoughts.

The City of Shoreline's website says:

Due to current construction status, vehicle parking is extremely limited at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park. Please plan to carpool, take the bus and walk to this special event if at all possible. Additional parking and nearest bus stop access is available at Richmond Beach Community Park, adjacent to the Richmond Beach Library along NW Richmond Beach Road. We apologize for this inconvenience.


Link to the City's webpage about the event

Link to photos of the construction at Richmond Beach park

Link to Christmas Ship schedule (Argosy Cruises)

Christmas Ship photo is from the Argosy website

Make an edible house at TOP Foods in Shoreline - Sat, Dec. 6, 1-4pm

Need something to do with the kids this afternoon?

"Come and create a sweet candy house to take home!"

TOP Foods in Shoreline, Saturday, December 6th, 2008 from 1-4pm

Food Lifeline feeds the hungry. Here's how you can help.

Food Lifeline encourages monetary donations since they can provide 5 meals for $1 by leveraging donated food (5 meals for $1.00!), however, they also gladly accept donations of food.

If the donor is a business, they can accept fresh, frozen and non-perishable donations. They have a fleet of trucks and partner agencies that can pick up donations anywhere in Western Washington.

If the donor is an individual, they can drop off non-perishable donations at the Food Lifeline facility in Shoreline at 1702 NE 150th St., Shoreline, WA 98155 between 8a and 5p, Monday through Friday.

If you want to hold a food drive at your workplace, school, etc., you can contact Jill Clymer at jillc@fll.org for more information.

Donations are especially needed at this time since there has been a 22% increase in need since the beginning of this year.

The above information comes from Jackie Dale, Food Procurement Manager for Food Lifeline in Shoreline.

And this is from the Food Lifeline website:

As supporters of Food Lifeline’s mission to end hunger, you are a part of the network that is working together to create change to ensure that hungry families do not have to go without a meal, and hungry children get the proper nutrition to meet the challenges of learning in school.


Also from the Food Lifeline website:

• Hunger causes many families to make difficult choices.
  • 51% of the hungry people Food Lifeline serves must choose between food and paying for heat.
  • 40% of the hungry people Food Lifeline serves must choose between food and paying for medicine or medical care.
  • 40% of the hungry people Food Lifeline serves must choose between food and rent.
  
  

Link to Food Lifeline

The photo above is from Food Lifeline's website

Plant Sale at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden this weekend: Dec. 6 & 7, 2008

This 'Green Gifts' sale will feature table top trees, gift-wrapped plants, cards, garden art, gift certificates for MsK Nursery & more. All proceeds support the Foundation & garden operations. Sale held at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden.

What: Kruckeberg Holiday 'Green Gifts' Sale
When: Sat Dec 6th and Sun Dec 7th, from 10am - 5pm
Where: 20312 15th Ave NW, Shoreline, WA 98177
More info: kbgf@kruckeberg.org or 206-546-1281

Link to Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

Link to MsK Rare Plant Nursery

Guest chef dinner at Shorewood High School: Dec 4, 2008

Here's how you can support Shorewood High's culinary arts program and enjoy a delicious meal at the same time! Shorewood is holding periodic 'guest chef' dinners over the course of the next 7 months. The next one is Thursday December 4th at 6pm. The cost is $30 and dinner on the 4th will be created by the chef and sous chef from Ray's Boathouse.

What: guest-chef dinner

When: Thursday, December 4 at 6pm

Why: to help support Shorewood's culinary arts program

Where: the culinary arts dining room at Shorewood High School

How: call 206-361-4399 for reservations

Link to Shorewood's culinary arts program webpage

Link to map of event location