They used to burn ships at Richmond Beach

This is the sign up on the bluff at Richmond Beach park.

It gives historical information about the park and the names of the mountain peaks of the Olympic mountains that you can see on the horizon across the water.

Detail of the sign showing an "old boat burning at Richmond Beach"

My North King County Historic Sites Tour Map says this about Richmond Beach Saltwater Park: " From the early 1920s until the 1950s, salvage companies hauled wooden ships to the sand pit beach and burned them to obtain the scrap metal. Picnicking crowds gathered to watch the fires, which were announced in the newspapers. The site became a park in 1958. Scrap metal from the fires can still be found on the beach."

And this, according to the sign up on the bluff at Richmond Beach park "...old ships that were no longer being used for shipping were brought down to Richmond Beach and burned. The newspapers gave notice when this was going to occur on certain nights. It was quite a show and well attended." (as recollected by Helen Cox Oltman)

Scrap metal from the ship fires?

Part of the sign on the bluff

The beach

View from the bluff

Do you remember when they used to burn ships off of (what is now) Richmond Beach Park? If so, please leave your recollections in the comment section or email me. We'd love for you to share your story!

Link to: All posts about Richmond Beach

Photos from the Shoreline Arts Festival

Making fish prints

Fish prints!

Geoffrey Castle plays the electric violin

A roomful of forts made out of boxes! Sweet.

Rock stacking

at the Phillipine Fiesta

Link to: Shoreline Arts Council

Geoffrey Castle performs at Shoreline Arts Festival

I wanted to edit this video down to just the violin solo so that it would be a small enough file that I could upload it directly to the blog. For a variety of reasons involving undesireable things going on with my computer and camera, I was unable to do that. So I've posted the video to YouTube and am embedding it here. I would have preferred to upload it directly to the blog because I find the video quality to be better. I've noticed lately that my newer videos on YouTube don't look as good as my older ones. Not sure what that's all about (although I've noticed lately an option to "watch in high quality" beneath YouTube videos). Whatever.

Anyway, this is local musician Geoffrey Castle performing "Little Wing" at the Shoreline Arts Festival on Saturday, June28, 2008. The violin solo kicks in at about 1:40. Enjoy!

Link to: this same video on YouTube

Link to: Geoffrey playing a Beatles medley (also at Shoreline Arts Festival 2008)

Link to: Geoffrey Castle's website

Update2: Will they ever finish putting up this building?

Velvet took these photos yesterday, June 25th, 2008. As she noted in her email: the scaffolding is gone! Looks like there's some actual progress going on after all.

Link to: all posts related to this building project

Shoreline Arts Festival: June 28 & 29, 2008

Festival Poster Art: "Guardians" by Barbara Twaddell

Shoreline Arts Festival
"Green: Art and the Environment"

Saturday and Sunday
June 28, 10-8 pm & June 29, 10-5 pm

Shoreline Center: 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline

From the Shoreline Arts website:

"With two stages of music and dance, a Film Festival, Juried Art, Sculpture, Photography and Poetry Shows, hands-on art activities, artisan marketplace and food there is something for the whole family."

Among the performances: Inochi Taiko Drums, violinist Geoffrey Castle, Jugglemania, Total Experience Gospel Choir, folk musician Baby Gramps. And many many more. Click the link below for the full entertainment schedule.


Among many activities, there will be a "Children’s Hands-on Art Arena", a Collage Making Workshop, a used book sale, rock stacking, and a recycled art sale. (again, much more - click the link below)

Link to: Shoreline Arts Festival information

Link to: Photos from the Shoreline Arts Festival 2008

Link to: Music performance from the Shoreline Arts Festival 2008

Ridgecrest neighborhood banners

Are these new?

Car show at the Shoreline Historical Museum

These photos were taken Saturday June 21st, in the parking lot of the Shoreline Historical Museum. they call it: "The History of Racing on Aurora"

It's the Shoreline Historical Musuem's annual outdoor 'Golden Wheels' exhibit of local historic race cars.

This was the first thing on display, right at the front of the lot.

It didn't really seem to fit the theme.

Spinning yarns, no doubt

Groovy old skool controls

The Mighty Solar Midget

Cute, eh?

John Zink Special

This sign is describing the car in the next photo

William Clay Ford's midget race car

This little guy has 3 wheels (only 1 in the back) and is covered in leather!

Link to: Golden Wheels Fraternity

Link to: Shoreline Historical Museum

Link to: all posts about Shoreline Historical Museum

Update: Will they ever finish putting up this building?

This was taken on April 27th, 2008

This was taken on June 21st, 2008

Also taken on June 21st, 2008

It's been almost 2 months since I posted a photo of this building under construction at Midvale and 185th (right near Bartell's and the police station)

This morning, Velvet commented on the original post:

"I drove by this building in training yesterday and there were some men doing something to the outside...

It's the first time in months I've seen any workmen at all. Perhaps there will be progress soon?"

Upon learning that there had been some work going on, I decided to go back and take another picture to compare "then and "now". The results are above. I have to say, although it doesn't look exactly like it did 2 months ago, it sure doesn't look a whole lot different either.

Maybe they've been working on the inside.

Link to: earlier post about this building

A bit of history: Ronald Bog Park

Ronald Bog Park

The Shoreline Historical Museum offers a map of North King County that highlights local historic sites. There is an entry for Ronald Bog Park and here's what it says:

Headwaters to the northern part of the Thornton Creek watershed, the ancient peat bog covered several acres of land. Native Americans living in the area picked cranberries there, as did settlers into the 1940s. A small pond formed at certain times of the year, and people reported having skated on it. At one time, a wooden bridge on 175th crossed the north side. The bog was mined for its peat throughout the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1974 the land was purchased by King County and turned into a park, now a City of Shoreline park.

So Ronald Bog was apparently once a cranberry bog! How 'bout that?

Link to: Other blog posts labeled 'Ronald Bog'

Pez for Pets (!) on sale in Shoreline

I'm not saying I think this is a good idea. I'm just sayin' - they now make Pez dispensers for your dog. "Pez for Pets" is much larger than a normal Pez dispenser, and dispenses dog treats. Have things finally gone too far in the world of Pez? (answer: yes)

Anyway, these things are on clearance sale at Walgreens in North City for only $4.99

Your dog wants Pez!

Safeway billboard: unfortunate timing

Noticed this billboard today in Shoreline near the intersection of 175th & 15th, just west of the Safeway grocery store. They may be wishing they'd used a photo of cucumbers, or red peppers, or cabbage. Pretty much anything but tomatoes. Oh well, just an unfortunate coincidence. And yes, I know not all tomatoes are under suspicion. But still, it caught my eye and seemed like a bit of unfortunate timing.


Link to: US FDA webpage about salmonella outbreak in tomatoes

Link to: tomatoes unwelcome in compost bins

New public art coming to Echo Lake park

I noticed this a couple of days ago at Echo Lake park.
"What is that?" I wondered.

Perhaps a giant potsticker?


Here's a view from the other side.

Nope, not a giant potsticker after all.
By golly, it's art!



And a close up of the artist's concept.

I sent a note to Ros Bird with the City of Shoreline to see if he she could give me any further information about the project. Here's a slightly edited version of his her response:


Stuart Nakamura is the artist on this project having been selected through an open call and jury process about a year ago. Funding for the $20,000 commission is through the City of Shoreline’s 1% for Art Program and a City of Shoreline Neighborhood Mini-Grant to the Echo Lake Neighborhood Association. The installation will include seating as a place to reflect, read, chat with friends and view a bit of the lake, and will be visible from the trail as well as other parts of the park. It will be bermed in the back and have a couple of small lights embedded for nighttime security as well as ambience. Other materials are concrete, granite and steel. If the weather cooperates we expect the artwork to be completed in July.


Link to: More info about Stuart Nakamura


Link to: Another page about Nakamura, including photos of some of his other work.

Update on Off-Leash Dog Park(s)

The City of Shoreline has updated their website with new information about the "Off-Leash Dog Areas (OLDA) Pilot Project" There were 38 sites looked at originally as possibilities for off-leash dog parks in Shoreline. Those 38 sites were whittled down to 14 that met the necessary criteria, and then further whittled down to the 6 "most promising" sites. And it looks like the city is considering multiple off-leash dog parks in Shoreline.

The 6 sites chosen as "most promising" are at the following locations:

• Richmond Beach Saltwater Park
• North City Park
• Aldercrest Annex
• Hamlin Park
• A parking lot at Shoreline Community College
• Open Space at Metro Transit's North Base
  

The "OLDA" study group will take public comment throughout the summer of 2008 on these proposed sites, select pilot sites, improve those sites as needed and actually implement the pilot sites (for a 12 month test phase) in the spring of 2009.

The City's website has lots more information and links to pdf files with maps of the sites in question, as well as a FAQ sheet, history of the project, and more.

Link to: The City's webpage with updated info about the project

ALERT: No Tomatoes in Composting Bins

Currently posted to the City of Shoreline's website (as of June 16 2008):

"No Tomatoes in Composting or Recycling"

Due to the presence of salmonella in some of the tomato supply, put raw red tomatoes and products containing them in the garbage, not in the curbside yard waste and food scrap collection cart, backyard composting bin or worm bin until further notice.

Click here for more information from the US Food and Drug Administration about the salmonella warning for tomatoes.

Link to: City of Shoreline

Shoreline Public Library - An appreciation

I've always been a big fan of my local public library. Usually, when I move to a new town it's one of the first things I make a point of locating. Since the summer of 2000, the Shoreline Public Library has been my local public library. And it is lovely.

Perhaps you're already a library lover like me. If so, right on! If not, there are some compelling reasons to get and use a library card.

As you may have heard over the past few years, the library is not just about books anymore. Oh no! While books are still the mainstay of the library, you can also borrow movies and music, magazines and newspapers. What with everything getting more and more expensive these days, the library might be a great option for helping save some cash. And our Shoreline Library has dozens of computers available for public use. The computers are chock full of useful software, including word processing, spreadsheet, database, Powerpoint, and of course, web browsing software with free internet access. And check this out - you can print up to 70 pages per week - for free! 70 pages, on a high quality laser printer. Sure, it only prints in black and white, but still. That's a lot of free ink and paper (cha-ching!). And if you bring your own laptop computer, the library offers free wifi to the internet. No coffee purchase required! :)

There she is!

Children's books to help teach your kids a foreign language!

Be careful. The children's section is full of little monsters! :)

You can't see it, but it's there: free wifi

Dozens of computers free to use

Why pay for magazines? Borrow them from the library!

Lots of movies to choose from

Any kind of music you like, they have it here for you to borrow

Books in many foreign languages

The library also offers all kinds of events, classes and programs for people of all ages, including Story Times for kids, help with taxes during tax season, computer classes, English language conversation skills, and more. They even offer video game get-togethers for teens!

Link to: Shoreline Public Library