Cromell Park improvements starting soon

Starting in August, big changes will be happening at Cromwell park (the area that sits at the end of 180th/179th and Meridian and next to King County District Court building). According to the City of Shoreline website, improvements to the park will include "an irrigated field, new basketball court, wetland areas, new play equipment as well as an amphitheater and stage area."

Storm water improvements will also be made, and more paths and trails will be added.

It should be fun to see the progress and enjoy the new park when it's all finished! The scheduled completion date is in winter of next year, according to the city, so it will be some time before we can see the results. You can click here to see a PDF of the site plan.

More info at the City of Shoreline site.

Photo by Bernard.

"All of this used to be bog" - lessons from an urban nature walk

One of the first (and most interesting) things I learned today is that a wide swath of Shoreline was once all bog. This fascinating fact was imparted by Jennifer Youngman. Jennifer is Outreach Coordinator for Homewaters Project, an organization that exists to create "an engaged and informed citizenry by connecting people to nature and each other in the context of their home communities."

A group of about 15 people braved the cold and rain to meet with Jennifer on a Saturday morning to learn about watersheds and storm drains, beavers and peat, native plants and invasive species, while following (on foot) the main branch of Thornton Creek's North Fork from its headwaters to Twin Ponds.

Jennifer (green jacket) is showing us the path of Thornton Creek

The group met in the parking lot at Twin Ponds park. Jennifer showed us a big map of Thornton Creek and gave us a basic idea of the journey we were about to embark upon, then we were off.

The future of Cromwell Park

First stop: Cromwell Park at 180th and Meridian. Cromwell Park will be undergoing some big changes this summer. We saw a map of the new layout and it is totally different than the current one. Among other changes, the baseball field and the playground will both be moved and there will be new paths installed throughout the park. Other improvements, including wetland restoration, will be a positive change for the watershed and the natural environment in general.

The group gathers at Ronald Bog Park

Second stop: Ronald Bog Park. Jennifer told us a little bit of the history of Ronald Bog and a bit about the nature and ecology of bogs in general. Did you know people used to pick cranberries at Ronald Bog? That was back when it was an actual bog. Alas, back in the 1950s all the peat was harvested from the bog. So now Ronald "Bog" isn't a bog at all. It's a pond.

Info sign at the arboretum at Ronald Bog Park

While at Ronald Bog Park, we checked out the new-ish Pacific Northwest Conifer Arboretum. Jennifer encouraged us to return here on our own to explore the place more fully. She also explained that not all conifers keep their needles year-round. Indeed, "conifer" simply means "cone-bearing." We saw an example of a deciduous conifer - the tamarack tree. It had dropped its needles, but was sporting many little cones.

From Ronald Bog Park we walked south down Meridian Ave., where we encountered Dick Decker working at removing invasive blackberries from the edge of the pond. He and a group of local citizens have regular work parties to improve Ronald Bog by removing invasives and replacing them with native species.

That's Dick Decker in the orange vest

We then meandered along the south side of Ronald Bog, along some little paths I never before knew existed, through James Keough Park (aka 'Freeway Park'), and found ourselves at our next destination.

At the recycling station

Third stop: Shoreline Recycling Center. Outside of a chainlink fence on the northern side of the recycling center Jennifer talked out how the (fairly huge) building there was LEED certified, meaning that it meets certain environmentally friendly standards. We also learned how and where the creek runs through this part of Shoreline.

Next we walked around to the main entrance of the recycling center to check out the educational display they have there. It's not only informative - it's also really cool, with a multi-colored river made of recycled glass. The display reminds us that we're "always in a watershed."

Journeying on, we walked out of the south side of the recycling center, past the 'bus barn' and headed south towards our final destination.

Walking into Twin Ponds Park

Fourth stop: Twin Ponds Park. We learned how water moves through this park and we also learned that several of the improvements to the park over the years were made by Eagle scouts, including the construction of a sturdy little bridge and the removal of a bunch of junk metal. We saw the 'trail of cedars' and Jennifer showed us a 'secret' hidden-away little arboretum at Twin Ponds. Somehow, back in the early 1990s a man named John Dixon convinced King County to let him plant a tree there. Then more trees. Over the years he kept on planting trees and cleaning the place up - removing concrete debris, etc. Now, nearly two decades later, John is still taking care of this place. It really is a hidden gem.

Jennifer answering questions in the 'secret' arboretum at Twin Ponds

We walked back to the parking lot where Jennifer gave us each some informative brochures produced by the Homewaters Project including a really nice map of the Thornton Creek watershed, some general information about Homewaters, and some info about a fundraising party Homewaters is holding on May 18th.

Although it was cold and rainy most of the time we were out, I still really enjoyed this walk and I would recommend it to anyone interested in how the natural world flows on all around us all the time. Jennifer was a great teacher and a pleasure to spend time with.

Check out the Homewaters website. There is a lot there to explore, including a virtual tour of the Thornton Creek watershed, ideas for fun activities, volunteer opportunities, and of course, information about upcoming events.

In conclusion, allow me to remind you that "you're always in a watershed." And when you're in the Thorton Creek watershed, remember that "all of this used to be bog!" :)

Link to see more photos from today's urban nature walk through Shoreline.

Link to get a free walking map of Shoreline that you can print out.

Were you on this walk? (or a previous one?) Please add your reflections, thoughts, memories, ideas etc. to the comment section.

Somebody ruined the lawn at Cromwell Park by driving on it

I discovered when I got off my bus this afternoon that someone (recently, from the looks of it) decided to drive their car into Cromwell Park and do doughnuts on the lawn. And because the ground was really saturated, it appears to have caused some real damage.

Bummer.

I suggest the City consider installing one of those locking posts at the vehicle entrance on Meridian, to keep unauthorized vehicles out of there.

This is where they drove in (Meridian and 180th)

Cromwell park in the snow

Happy Solstice, Shoreline!

Puffball mushrooms at Cromwell Park

At Cromwell Park today (Saturday, August 30, 2008) I noticed a lot of little puffball mushrooms on the field, near the benches. They were pretty small, (about the size of pocket change) ranging in size from the diameter of a dime to the diameter of a quarter.






Link to: Information about Shoreline parks

Photos and videos from Swingin' Summer Eve

Did you make it to Shoreline's Swingin Summer Eve this year? I hope so! If not, you missed out. But you didn't miss out entirely. Luckily for you, we here at the Ronald Bog Blog were there and have these photos to share. Enjoy! If you were there, what did you think? Did you buy a hotdog from the firemen? Did you bounce in the Wizard's Castle? Did you buy a used book? Did you shake your booty? Do tell! Leave a comment at the end of this post by clicking where it says 'comments'. It's quick, easy and fun!

Afrodisiacs perform live!

The Wave of Fire

Wizard's Castle!

Emergency preparedness information from the City of Shoreline

The Shoreline Council of Neighborhoods was on hand

A map of Shoreline's neighborhoods

Some new pals we met at the Council of Neighborhoods table!
Introduce yourselves in the comment section, y'all! :)

***

And here's a couple of short videos for your entertainment:

Afrodisiacs perform "We Are Family"

Deano the clown was chasing people with this big rolling tube!

Link to: Deano the Clown

Link to: Afrodisiacs

Link to: City of Shoreline Neighborhoods Program

Swingin' Summer Eve at Cromwell Park, July 23, 2008

Afrodisiacs of Seattle

(photo is from their website)

The City of Shoreline's website says Swingin' Summer Eve is "a delightful summer evening full of music, games, food, face painting and a used book sale. Kids will enjoy the pre-concert games and activities in the wide open field at Cromwell Park. The whole family will enjoy the barbeque fundraiser hosted by the Shoreline Fire Department, followed by an evening of music from the group Afrodisiacs. Admission to the event is free, with a nominal fee for food, books and inflatable games."

Will disco cover band Afrodisiacs pull out Super Freak by Rick James? Or perhaps Celebration by Kool and the Gang? There's only one way to know for sure. Be there! Click here to post your requests in the comment section just in case the band checks this website before tomorrow night's gig. Hey, they might. You never know! :) You can click the Afrodisiacs link below to see the songs they play.


What: Swingin' Summer Eve
Where: Cromwell Park (18009 Corliss Avenue N., Shoreline WA)
When: Wed, July 23, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

UPDATE: Link to: Photos and videos from this event
Link to: City of Shoreline events page
Link to: Afrodisiacs songlist

Cocoa Martini concert on Wednesday, July 16th

Jazz trio Cocoa Martini will be playing in Cromwell Park (Meridian and 182nd) this Wednesday as part of Shoreline's free concert series. The show starts at 7pm.

Fronted by jazz singer Mercedes Nicole, the group performs soulful jazz and R&B in the tradition of Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday. They've played at Seattle's Triple Door, and several other top local venues. It should be a great show! The weather is, however, supposed to be cooling off on Wednesday, with a little rain in the forecast, so let's hope that the gals aren't rained out.

Are you planning on going to the show? How do you like the free concert series? Please feel free to comment below (you don't need a Blogger account to leave a comment).