Polar Plunge – Freezin’ for a Reason & Fabulous Prizes, New Year's Day 2016

Get Ready, Get Set, GO! Jump in the lake!         
That is how we start off the New Year at Angle Lake. Not only does it clear your head from New Year’s Eve revelry, it starts the year off right with a great show of the generosity and spirit of our neighborhood.

The Angle Lake Shore Club hosts the annual Polar Plunge where neighbors gather to share treats and cheer the brave and crazy few who jump in the frigid waters.  

Why would anyone jump in the lake on New Year’s day? You may have to ask each plunger for their personal reason, but our official reason for freezin’ is to start the year off with the good deed of replenishing the Highline Food Bank depleted by holiday demand. We request that all spectators and jumpers bring a donation of money or non-perishable food.

Our neighbors in need will benefit from your generous donations and you attendees will benefit by being eligible to win fabulous prizes!  All you have to do is bring a donation, enjoy a brunch buffet with coffee and cocoa, and cheer or plunge at noon. For a heightened experience wear a costume and bring kids.

Jan 1, 2016 at 11 AM  at  Angle Lake Manor Beach, 3419 S. 194th St

You will receive 1 raffle ticket each for:
  • Simply showing up at the Manor Club Beach between 11:00 and Noon
  • Showing up in costume (if you plan to plunge or not)
  • Bringing a non-perishable food item (1 ticket for each item)
  • Donating $10 cash or check made out to the Highline Area Food Bank
  • Taking the plunge!
Benefit our local emergency food bank; win fabulous prizes; enjoy the company of neighbors and have FUN! There are no better reasons for freezin’!

Consult your physician prior to participating in the Polar Plunge to verify your fitness or sanity. Firemen will be on hand to resuscitate you, if needed. (No faking allowed.)

Check the Blog at www.anglelakesc.blogspot.com as we near the date for further event details. Contact Tani Rae for questions or to volunteer at 206-300-5740.

Fabulous Prizes:
  • Overnight at Cedarbrook Lodge
  • Fifty minutes Cedarbrook spa treatment (2 gift certificates)
  • Dinner for 2 at Copperleaf Restaurant (2 gift certificates)
  • Hair cut at the Ultimate Solution Hair Salon, 3215 S.188th
  • Gift from Wild Birds Unlimited, 15858 1st Ave S.
  • ALSC t-shirts : sm, med, lg and xl

Our Gift to You: A Pile of Holiday Pictures!

Our goal this winter, is the same as every winter— to create enduring memories of time shared with our lakeside community during the Christmas season. Your Shore Club Board and many volunteers are pretty enamored with the concept of building community through family friendly, fun filled events and nothing is more fun during the Christmas Season than a chance to visit with jolly ol’ Saint Nicholas himself! 

This year we had not one but two visits by Santa Claus to the Angle Lake Neighborhood! In addition to the special appearance he made to lead the community in the countdown to the lighting of the Christmas trees at the May family residence, Santa returned for his annual visit aboard the Christmas barge to greet children dockside around the lake.

And because we value and appreciate your participation in these events, please accept these lovely holiday photos as our gift to you. Feel free to download and share them with your family and friends and continue to spread the holiday cheer. 

Santa, the Shore Club Board and our numerous volunteers all wish you and your loved ones a
Very Merry Christmas!

Why Should Visitors Love Your Town?

The Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority (SSRTA) is looking for people willing to participate in a phone survey to offer individual preferences and opinions to help guide future advertising campaign efforts. 

The objective is to get gather personal perspectives on ways our community could attract more tourism dollars. To that end, SSRTA would like to ask for your participation in a short (20 minute) phone interview with someone from our strategic planning partner, GreenRubino. The call can be schedule for a time that is convenient to you, and your input would be completely confidential.  

If you are interested in voicing your opinions, please email Ashley Comar, Marketing and Communications Manager at Ashley@SeattleSouthside.com


What is Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority?
The Seattle Southside Visitor Services was reformed into a new organization in 2014 to become the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. SSRTA is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for the cities of SeaTac, Tukwila and Des Moines. DMOs market "places" for visitor-related economic development.

The first DMO was organized more than 100 years ago in Detroit; there are now more than 1,200 around the world. SSRTA was first organized in 1999 by the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce and in 2002 was reconstituted as a multi-city regional program administered by the City of Tukwila operating as a City Department called Seattle Southside Visitor Services (SSVS). 

However, the Cities and local hospitality industry representatives believed SSVS would benefit from another re-formed organizational structure into a local public development authority with a private sector board of directors to be renamed as the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority (SSRTA).  

DMOs in very small towns commonly often begin as a part of the local Chamber. As communities grow, there is usually a "division of effort." Typically, DMOs are "community" organizations, while chambers are private, membership organizations. In Southwest King County, both organizations market Seattle Southside as a "place." SSRTA handles visitors, meetings, group tours, movie productions, and sports events. The Chamber assists new residents moving in and relocating or expanding businesses. The Southwest King County Chamber was instrumental in the original early founding of SSVS and supported the reforming of SSVS into SSRTA.

How is the SSRTA funded?
Visitors pay a special 1% room tax when they stay in Seattle Southside hotels, motels, campgrounds or bed and breakfasts. Approximately 50% of this tax is invested in SSRTA to attract and serve more visitors to the region. These tax revenues provide visitor services and facilities; group sales and tourism promotion through a variety of marketing and communications initiatives. 

The SSRTA will continue to contract with the Cities for additional local lodging tax dollars to market the region. Additionally, a $2.00 per room night TPA special assessment will be collected by hoteliers and those funds will be directed to the SSRTA for management. Occupancy taxes and special assessments are typically the way the visitor sector of the economy provides for destination marketing.

Could It Happen In Our Lifetime?

The other day I received a press release announcing an Open House for the SR 509 project.  The first thought that came to my mind was “Wow! Am I finally going to witness a finish to the Burien Freeway project in my lifetime????” Since 1988, various proposals have been recommended building a freeway extension of SR 509 within the city of SeaTac, connecting the Burien Freeway to I-5 and that continues to remain unbuilt today.


State Route 509 (SR 509) is a 35.17-mile-long state highway connecting Tacoma in Pierce County to Seattle in King County. The highway travels north from Interstate 705 (I-705) in Tacoma to SR 99 south of downtown Seattle. It serves cities along the Puget Sound and west of Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in south King County, including Federal Way, Des Moines, and Burien. Prior to the 1964 highway renumbering, the highway was part of Secondary State Highway 1V (SSH 1V) from Tacoma to Des Moines and SSH 1K from Des Moines to Seattle. 

Every year, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) conducts a series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2011, WSDOT calculated that the busiest section of SR 509 was the limited-access highway between Burien and its northern terminus in Seattle, serving 54,000 vehicles, while the least busy section was within Dash Point and Dash Point State Park, serving 2,600 vehicles. SR 509 between SeaTac and Seattle is designated as part of the National Highway System, which includes roadways important to the national economy, defense, and mobility. The sections of highway from Tacoma to Federal Way and from SeaTac to Seattle are designated as part of WSDOT's Highways of Statewide Significance, which includes highways that connect major communities in the state of Washington.


The present route of SR 509 from Des Moines to Seattle roughly follows a wagon road constructed in the late 1890s by King County along the Puget Sound. The highway between Federal Way and Kent was codified in 1923 as part of State Road 1 and in 1937 as Primary State Highway 1 (PSH 1). During the creation of the primary and secondary state highways in 1937, the highway between Tacoma and Federal Way was designated as SSH 1V and the highway between Des Moines and Seattle was designated as SSH 1K and traveled 12.76 miles (20.54 km) south from PSH 1 at the First Avenue South Bridge in Seattle through Burien and east through Des Moines to PSH 1 in Midway. The two highways were combined during the 1964 highway renumbering to become SR 509 and was codified into law in 1970. SR 509 was realigned onto the newly constructed north–south Burien Freeway in 1968, extending from Seattle to SeaTac. The highway was originally routed through Saltwater State Park on Marine View Drive until 1991, when SR 509 was moved to two concurrencies with SR 99 in Federal Way and SR 516 in Des Moines. 

The freeway was planned to be extended south to SR 516 in the 1970s after a 4-mile (6.4 km) right-of-way was acquired by WSDOT before the project was canceled. The King County Department of Public Works recommended extending SR 509 southeast from South 188th Street to I-5 in 1988, with construction planned to begin in 1999 at an estimated cost of $252 million in 1996, raised to $1.4 billion a decade later. A freeway bypass of the Port of Tacoma was opened in 1997 and the highway was truncated to its current southern terminus, a single-point urban interchange with I-705 in downtown Tacoma near the 21st Street Bridge. No major revisions to the route of SR 509 have occurred since 1997, however, WSDOT is proposing a freeway extension to SR 509 to I-5 along with interchange improvements and new arterial streets.  The project has finally received the necessary funding to implement the plan, unfortunately it is not scheduled to complete until 2031 at the earliest – no less than 43 years after the original proposal was made.  

The open house is scheduled for Thursday, December 17th from 5:00 until 7:00 pm.
Highline College, Building 2
2400 South 240th Street
Des Moines, WA 98198

No formal presentation will be provided. Attendees are welcome to come and go during the two hour
event.

Santa's Christmas Boats Cruise

Great News Kids!  Santa will be making a special stop at Angle Lake this Sunday, December 13th to join the holiday parade of pontoon boats decked out with Christmas lights circling the lake spreading festive music and Christmas cheer.


The flotilla will pause at predetermined spots around the lake so that Santa can meet with the kids, collect their wish list and gift ideas, provide photo opportunities for families and to present a small gift to the all the good children present.
  • Sunday, December 13th 
  • 4:15pm - Angle Lake Mobile Home Park
  • 4:45pm - Curtis Steinke - post #3
  • 5:15pm - Maria Rice - post #42 
  • 5:45pm - Dave Gutierrez - post #54 
  • 6:15pm - Phyllis Pickett - post #77 
  • 6:45pm - Jean McGarah - pst #4/30 
We encourage anyone who is interested meeting with Santa to gather at the locations above. 

Times listed above are approximate. Please check our Facebook Page for any schedule changes and for the latest list of locations and status. In the case of inclement weather, the event may be rescheduled or canceled. This event is free and open to all neighbors, extended families and their guests.

On One Foggy Sunday Eve...

The evening air was so thick with fog one might need a knife to cut through it, however the enthusiastic crowd with their harmonious chorus paired with the bright lights of the May family display shone brilliantly to illuminate the north end of Angle Lake. 

Video Courtesy of Mario Coluccio

A new community tradition was launched this year with the First Annual Tree Lighting and Christmas Caroling Ceremony sponsored by the Angle Lake Shore Club and hosted by Rodger and Lisa May. Neighbors from areas all areas around the lake gathered in the early evening on Sunday, November 29th to meet with new and familiar neighbors and enjoy refreshments while the children eagerly waited in anticipation for Santa’s arrival. 

The exuberant crowd let out a boisterous collective cheer when the flashing lights were spotted and the rumble of the Fire Truck engine was heard knowing that Santa Claus was on board.  Once the engine was safely parked the children rushed to meet and speak with Santa who in turn presented the kids with a candy cane as a reward for being good throughout the year.  

After everyone was provided an opportunity to get their photos taken with the guest of honor, Santa guided the crowd to the front of the property and led the countdown to the lighting of the Christmas Trees and neighbor Fran Reid took over in leading the group carols.

Special note of recognition for the following folks to express our appreciation and gratitude:
Thank you to:
  • Rodger and Lisa May for inviting people to their home to enjoy their lights 
  • Mario and Jason for their hard work in stringing all the lights and ensuring there was enough power available to illuminate them
  • Mackenzie; Lexi; Tammy and friends for their effort to coordinate the synchronized lighting
  • Lonnie and Annie for serving up the hot refreshments
  • Debbie, Julie, Marge, Judy for purchasing and assembling the snacks
  • Fran Reid and her performers for leading the Christmas Carols
  • Photos by Mario and Tani Rae; Videos by Mario and Val
  • …and of course, thank you to the Kent Regional Fire Department for their assistance in getting Santa safely to our event!

It is through these and many more volunteers and their efforts that helped to make this such a great success! Things like this could not be accomplished without your volunteer assistance and community participation! We can’t thank you enough for being an important part of all we do!

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas from the Angle Lake Shore Club Board!

Photos of the event are available for viewing via our Online Photo Album

Additional Video by Valerie Vavrik

Gift Drive for a Holiday of Hope

As the days before Christmas become fewer, it is our hope that a feeling of generosity increases within our community. It is during this time of year, we wish to extend an invitation for you to join us in helping financially strapped families from our area, by helping to make Christmas special for their children. The need is great and is growing each year.

Here are some examples of how to get involved:
  • Purchase or provide money for a gift or two. Toys for children 0-11 or gift card ($25.00) for youth 12-18 from Target Stores, Forever 21, Sports Authority or Old Navy 
  • Organize a toy drive in your place of business
  • Volunteer to shop or assist parents with shopping
  • Refer a local family you know that needs help.

Please bring your toy, gift card and/or monetary donation to the Angle Lake Family Resource Center located at 4040 So. 188th Street by December 5th.  Volunteers will be accepting donations between the hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.  

For more information concerning the Holiday Of Hope, please contact the Angle Lake Family Resource Center by phoning 206-816-3241 or by email at fre-vista@lcsnw.org.

A Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

As the Christmas holiday approaches, the Angle Lake Shore Club board and volunteers are actively planning seasonal events including something new; something familiar; and something different.


Beginning with the NEW: We are looking forward to hosting our first ever Angle Lake Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. What better way to get in the holiday spirit than by bringing your family, friends and neighbors together to help light this year’s tree? The evening will begin at 6:00 PM at the home of Rodger and Lisa May. ALSC will be serving up light snacks and hot refreshments while the crowd waits in anticipation for St. Nicholas arrival. Santa will then help us to countdown to the lighting of the holiday lights, whence we’ll all join in singing Christmas carols around the lighted trees!

What: Angle Lake Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Where: May Residence at 4317 So. 188th Street
Date: Sunday, November 29th
Time: 6:00 until 7:00 PM

Next is the FAMILIAR: The ever popular social event of the year, the ALSC Members Only Christmas Party! This party is always a great opportunity to visit with familiar neighbors, make new acquaintances, and share fun stories of the great times that were enjoyed during the various club events throughout this past year! As has now become the tradition, you can expect a delicious catered Gourmet Dinner with an open bar included in the ticket price of just $30 per person.  Yes, you read that right...  An entire evening of socializing; delicious dinner; live music entertainment and refreshments, all for only $30 each. Please make your reservation to attend no later than November 28th. An order form is available HERE.

What: ALSC Members Only Christmas Party
Where: Beck Residence at 19244 – 39th Ave So.
Date: Saturday, December 5th
Time: 4:00 until 8:00 PM

And wrapping things up is something DIFFERENT: We’re very fortunate to have Santa Claus scheduled for another special stop to visit with the children on Angle Lake! This year we’ll be taking Santa around the lake by way of decorated Pontoon Boat on Sunday Afternoon instead. Since the need for Santa up north is great this time of year, the number of locations he’ll visit will be limited and stops will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis until the maximum number of five stops is reached. If you are interested reserving a stop and are willing to have other neighbors gather at your location, please contact Phyllis Pickett via email at p.pickett@comcast.net before December 6th. We’ll post a final list of scheduled stops on the blog the week of the event and encourage all who are interested visiting with Santa to gather at the predetermined locations.  

What: Christmas Boats and Santa's Cruise
Where: Predetermined Docks around Angle Lake
Date: Sunday, December 13th
Time: 4:00 until 7:00 PM

We hope that you’ll make time during this busy period to join one or more of these entertaining club events!

The Boo Cruise Was Spooktacular!

The weather forecast was pretty bleak the week leading up to Halloween. Strong winds and heavy showers were predicted throughout the day and the morning of the holiday, those predictions were certainly realized to be correct!

As the morning wore on, the adverse weather conditions seemed to wane a bit. At around noon, the organizer’s mobile phones started lighting up with a volley of text messages confirming a Go / No Go decision… after a short period later the decision was “GO!”

The Goulet brothers, Capt Bruce and Dock Master Lonnie took to the water at 3:00pm as the showers were just starting to lighten up. By the time they had collected the Hill’s and met Princess Ros, Top Banana Bill and Shore Club Shutterbug Standridge the rain had stopped and the skies were actually starting to become brighter with a few light sun breaks beginning to appear!


To our surprise, the pleasant weather drew out an equally pleasing number of guests there to greet us around the lake! Costumed ‘kids’ of all ages were excited to meet with the elegant princess and receive tasty Halloween treats. Amazingly we all remained dry throughout the entire cruise and it wasn’t until the Goulets were docking the boat at home when the weather turned nasty again!

Event photos can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/1LYKTi1 (case sensitive).

In addition to declaring the Boo Cruise a great success, we’d like to make a ‘teaser announcement’ to inform our readers that we are actively planning for a Christmas Caroling and Tree Lighting Event here on Angle Lake on Sunday, November 29th at approximately 6:00 PM. Specific details will be release soon via the ALSC blog.

No Trick, It's Our Treat to You!

Calling all kids in costumes! Get your trick or treating started right! Join us lake side for the community wide Angle Lake Shore Club Spooktacular BooCruise!

Halloween Day, Saturday, October 31st: 3:30-5PM

Halloween 2015 marks ALSC’s inaugural Halloween event - the ALSC Spooktacular Boo Cruise! Remember the ALSC Easter Bunny Dock Hop?! The Spooktacular Boo Cruise is of similar fashion, Halloween fashion that is! 

Between 3:30 - 5PM the BooBoat will circle Angle Lake with some Spooky treats to give trick-or-treaters this year! The Boo Boat will hand out spooky treats to those children/families/adults who are dressed in costume! 

We’ll have our club photographer onboard ready to take family photos for you or with you and our All Hallows Eve Helpers. A Disney Princess will also be making a special appearance for our Boo Cruise, so this is one you will not want to miss! 

Please email Rosalyn Rombauer - ros.rombauer@gmail.com if you would like the Boo Cruise to make a visit to your dock.

High School Athlete of the Week!

During the High School Fall Sports Season, CenturyLink and the Seattle Seahawks honor Washington State high school student-athletes that display exemplary performance both on and off the field. This award recognizes commitment to excellence, positive attitude, respect, and service to the community.

It is with great pride and excitement to announce that the Seattle Seahawks, CenturyLink, Q13 FOX (KCPQ), and Sports Authority have selected Jaclyn Hill of Mount Rainier High School as the week six CenturyLink High School Athlete of the Week.


Jaclyn, daughter of Fuzz and Julie and a senior at Mount Rainier High School, was selected to be the Athlete of the Week based on her dedication to academics, community involvement, leadership, and athletic performance. Jaclyn has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA while being enrolled in her school's International Baccalaureate program.  This past summer, she was accepted to the University of Washington's College of Engineering Mathematics Academy where she studied for the month of July.  Jaclyn is the President of her school's DECA program and the VP of her senior class.  She is also the leader of Shine Bright, a volunteer organization that focuses on educationally mentoring grade school students. When Jaclyn is not volunteering in her community, she is the captain of the varsity cheer team for all three high school sports seasons.

As the CenturyLink High School Athlete of the Week, Jaclyn will be recognized at school in front of her family, peers and teachers. The school will be presented a $1,200 gift card supported by Sports Authority from CenturyLink and the Seahawks for the school's ASB fund, in addition to media recognition, tickets and sideline passes to the October 18th Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers game, and a customized Nike Seahawks jersey.

Please join in congratulating our young Angle Lake Shore Club member, Jaclyn Hill in receiving this prestigious recognition!

A Look Back on Angle Lake

While attending the recent Transit Oriented Development Introductory Presentation at SeaTac City Hall earlier this week, I stopped to view the Highline Historical Society Exhibit consisting of two display cases containing old photographs of Angle Lake, including a few documented memories from local residents regarding those former days. The artifacts are located in the Council Chambers/Court Lobby and can be viewed daily from 9am – 5 pm.
Angle Lake Swim Team circa 1965
In a remarkable concurrence of circumstance without apparent causal connection, just two days prior I was sifting through my archived files looking for unrelated information and happened upon a letter that was given to me several years back. The letter contained a historical recount regarding the inception of the Angle Lake Shore Club and some of the organization’s key achievements. 

Could my stumbling upon this letter at nearly the same time of discovering the Angle Lake historical display merely be coincidental?  Or could it be attributed to something more mysterious??? (It is nearly All Hallows Eve after all!)  

A Brief History of the Angle Lake Shore Club 
as recalled by Bonnie (Wheeler) Myhre
Dated: February 2007

The Angle Lake Shore Club was started in the middle 1930s by a group of people who lived around the lake. As best I can recall, they were Art and Stella Newbill; Mary and Dale Hayes; Elliot and Lotsie Fallis; Corwin and Leah Dennis; Al and Betty Windsor; and Norm and Mid Soland. They met in various homes and offered a combination of social gatherings and looking at issues for the good of the community. There were not many people living on the Lake year round, as many had summer cabins and Angle Lake was a long way from Seattle, where most people worked. At that time, Des Moines Road and Military Road were the only access to Seattle from the Angle Lake area.

About 1937 the group acquired a piece of property on the south side of 198th street, where they decided to build a clubhouse. It was done mostly with volunteer labor and I believe Corwin Dennis was somewhat in charge of directing the building, as he was an excellent carpenter and made his living building houses.

The original building consisted of a large room – probably 30 ft. by 30 ft. – with a kitchen on the south side of the building and two small bathrooms. There was a large pot-bellied stove in the main room. They had put down good flooring in the main room so they could hold dances and other activities. They regularly held dinners at the Club as well as dances. There was a large grand parking area in the back of the club house and many a father took their young children there to learn to drive.

When I was in high school, the drama class put on a one-act play once a year and I remember our class going to the Shore Club meeting and putting on a play for them during their regular meeting.

The first big project that the Club handled was the installation of a water system. Up to that time everyone pumped water out of the lake. The installation took quite a while to implement, as a few of the residents were strongly opposed to spending the money for this project – but the Club was ultimately successful. A big water tower was constructed near the intersection of 200th Street and Military Road and a couple times a year a few of the men would gather together for a cleaning party and scrub the tank. 

The women formed an Auxiliary to help benefit the club and they were a very active group. Once a year they would hold a “Silver Tea” and invite the community – it was well attended. The ladies brought their best china and silver teapots, and made lovely dainty sandwiches. They did a lot of good for the club; keeping it clean and talking the men into coming about twice a year to wash windows!

At the end of World War II, the financial picture of the community was greatly improved and they built a large addition on the west side of the building that made a lovely dining room. At that time they also installed an oil furnace, which was a grand addition.

They held a dinner-dance every month with different members appointed to be in charge of decorating the rooms, providing an orchestra and serving a midnight dinner. Many times Al Sholberg and Sandy Taylor would provide the music, as Al could make the guitar sing and Sandy was a great piano player. The New Year’s Eve dance was the highlight of the year with beautiful decorations and an elaborate midnight dinner. Everyone came back the next day to clean it up, eat the leftovers and in general talk about what a good time was had.

In 1965, the Club completed the project of installing sewers around the lake. This was accomplished largely due to the efforts of Sandy Taylor, who went door-to-door convincing people of the value of putting in sewers, and the many people who took petitions to all the residents of the lake to join the Des Moines Sewer District.

As time went on, fewer people were interested in coming to the affairs at the Club and a number of members felt it was time to sell the club house as it was falling on just a few people to keep up the grounds and the building. After selling the clubhouse (approximately the late ‘60s to early ‘70s), we held sporadic meetings but always had the Christmas party, which was a progressive affair. Many of the members opened their homes for hors d’oeuvres and drinks, after which we met at the local Lutheran church for the Christmas dinner.


The preceding was recalled by Bonnie Lou (Wheeler) Myhre who was born on August 20, 1924 to Ame and Bill Wheeler and lived in the Angle Lake area of South Seattle for 60 years. She graduated from Highline High School and attended the University of Washington. She was married to Kenneth Myhre for 63 years. Bonnie had passed away September 5, 2014 and is survived by her son, Karl and his wife, Sherilyn; her granddaughter, Misa and her husband Mike Reardon; her great-granddaughter, Imani Paige Reardon, and numerous nieces and nephews and their children. 

TOD Introductory Workshop

SeaTac area residents are invited to attend an introductory presentation on how investment in transit stations influence growth within a community. The introductory event will be held this Tuesday in the SeaTac City Hall Council Chambers.

TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
Introductory Presentation
SeaTac City Hall Council Chambers
Tuesday, October 6th 6:00 – 8:00 PM

The City of SeaTac is hosting a meeting with representatives from Smart Growth America on October 6 and 7, 2015 as part of a free, grant-funded technical assistance program. This workshop aims to provide the community and city officials with tools and techniques to bring about the vision for the future found in the City’s long-range plans. The workshop will focus on how shifting development patterns towards more compact, walkable, and transit-oriented development could benefit the community as it grows.

“In 2016, with the opening of the Angle Lake Station, the City will have three light rail station areas, each with its own distinct attributes, opportunities and challenges,” said Todd Cutts, SeaTac City Manager. He added: “The expert assistance from Smart Growth America will help guide the transformation of these areas and support the community in shaping them into active, interesting, and healthy places.

“Smart Growth America is committed to providing training to help local leaders keep cities and towns livable, vibrant places,” said John Robert Smith, Chair of Smart Growth America’s Transportation for America program. “This workshop will provide the community with an opportunity to learn more about leveraging transit investment to realize SeaTac’s development goals.

SeaTac was just one of 14 communities nationwide selected from a pool of over 120 major cities, suburban centers, and rural towns by Smart Growth America to participate in the technical assistance program. The program is made possible through a five-year Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities grant to Smart Growth America from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities.

As a national leader in the field, Smart Growth America has accumulated extensive experience working with communities to help them use land strategically, make the most of existing resources and invest strategically to catalyze private development. 

A Class Act Restaurant, A Real Hidden Gem

Tucked away near the end of SR-509 and just off So. 188th street is a little known diner called the Class Act Restaurant. This establishment features a unique dining experience due to the fact that it is operated by high school students who are enrolled in culinary training at the Puget Sound Skills Center. The enrollees attend from neighboring school districts from all around South King County including Highline, Tukwila, Federal Way and Tahoma.

It is these students who are learning the details of restaurant and kitchen operations and practice their skills by operating the 72 seat dining room three days a week, Wednesday – Friday.  On these days they serve breakfast from 7-9AM and lunch from Noon-1PM. Since the restaurant is actually a ‘classroom’ they operate on full school days following the Highline School District Calendar.


Although this is a training facility, the quality entrees served up are anything but amateurish. Judge for yourself from the photo examples presented on the 2014/2015 Gallery page. The dishes certainly rival anything you can find at one of the finer hotels in the area or even downtown Seattle but at half the price and without the drive! Refer to the Breakfast or Lunch pages for the specific days that they are open and to view what is currently being offered from the menu rotation. Advanced reservations are not required.


If your organization or event is looking for meeting space, please note that the Class Act also operates three banquet rooms: The Albrecht Room and The Green Room have seating for groups up to 25 people, and the Yormark Room can support groups up to 70. The rooms can be configured as you wish, food service and audio/visual equipment is provided on request. They are available on any day that the restaurant is in operation. You can inquire about them by calling the office at the Puget Sound Skills Center at (206) 631-7300.

They're Back... Last Gasp of Summer!

Swimmers numbering in the hundreds will gather once again on the shores of Angle Lake Saturday, September 19th eager to participate in the ‘last’ 1 and 2 mile open water competition swim of the season. 


The 2015 Last Gasp of Summer is an open water swimming event hosted by Blue Wave Aquatics and Valley Aquatics Swim Team and sanctioned by the Pacific Northwest Association of Master Swimmers, Inc for USMS (Sanction No. 362-W002). For those like me who may not be all that familiar with the sport of open water swimming, this all translates to mean that it’s going to be a pretty big darn deal!

Angle Lake has become a favorite location for this event. The course will run nearly the entire length of the east-west leg and will be marked with large buoys. Motor boats, kayaks and lifeguards will be strategically located around the course to monitor race operations and lend assistance if necessary. Nearly 150 Master Swimmers are expected to compete in one of four events, while Youth will have their own separate events to compete in. 

Events
USMS Master Swimming
USA Youth Swimming
§  1 Mile wetsuit
§  500 Meter non-wetsuit [9-12 yrs]
§  1 Mile non-wetsuit
§  1 Mile non-wetsuit
§  2 Mile wetsuit
§  2 Mile non-wetsuit
§  2 Mile non-wetsuit
Day of Race registration is $80 and requires a One Day USMS registration fee of an additional $22. Entry includes one event, swim cap, participation gift and hosted lunch. Maximum number of athletes participating for the Last Gasp of Summer is 300. Visit the Last Gasp of Summer Website for more race event information. Family members are welcome to cheer on their swimmers and enjoy lunch after, donations will be accepted.

Schedule
RACE DAY
Saturday, September 19th
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Pre-race check-in for both races
8:45 AM
Briefing – Officials, Kayaks, Lifeguards
9:30 AM
Mandatory Meeting for ALL swimmers
10:00 AM
Start of 2 Mile Race
10:15 AM
Start of 1 Mile Race
10:45 AM
Start of 500 Meter Race (USA Swimming)
12:00 Noon
Awards, Picnic Lunch
The course will be cleared by noon and the event is expected to conclude no later than 1:00 PM.

Volunteer
As you can imagine, it takes a lot of volunteer effort to pull off an event of this magnitude and the organizers could always use additional help. If interested lending a hand, simply show up no later than 8:30 AM and ask Wendy Neely for assignment otherwise ask for Jennifer Mesler if you’d like to help patrol the course from your kayak. All volunteers will be welcome to join the athletes enjoying a free picnic lunch.

A history page has been added to The Last Gasp of Summer website to capture all the fun facts from previous years!

Live Music this Weekend

If you hadn’t already had your fill for live music at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival last Labor Day weekend, here’s your chance for a second helping of weekend filled with musical performances!


The annual SeaTac International Festival date has moved but the location remains the same.  The festival will be held at Angle Lake Park this Saturday from 10 am until 8 pm and again on Sunday from 10 am until 5 pm.  In addition to a jam packed two day entertainment schedule, vendors will be onsite offering arts and craft merchandise, prepared food and refreshments available for purchase.  

Live Entertainment 
Listen to some of the hottest popular performers in the Pacific Northwest. Different types of ethnic and cultural music will be performed, as well as entertainment for kids. Entertainment begins at noon on Saturday and runs through Sunday afternoon.

Saturday
Noon   Anzanga Marimba (Traditional, Contemporary Marimba)
1:00 p.m.   Bernie Prussing (Celtic soloist)
2:00 p.m.   Show Brazil (Brazilian Music)
3:00 p.m.   Oasis Dancers (Middle Eastern Dance)
4:00 p.m.   Correo Aereo (Traditional Latin Music)
5:00 p.m.   Duo Finelli (Vaudevillians Music Comedy)
6:00 p.m.   Geoffrey Castle (Electric Six string Violinist)

Sunday
Noon         It's a Zumba Party! (Free Zumba session)
1:00 p.m.   Ben Hunter/Joe Seamons (Acoustic Blues, Folk, Ragtime)
2:00 p.m.   Kelley Bradley (Americana/Folk)
3:00 p.m.   Jesse Noll (Delta Blues)
4:00 p.m.   Ventura Highway Revisited (Music of the band "America")

UPDATE: Time is Running Out

The Angle Lake Shore Club Firework Barge Capital Call is nearing a conclusion. This is a critical time for us if we wish to ensure the continuation of our fireworks here on the lake. This requires all of us to come together so that we don't find ourselves without any show. 


The effort is to raise funds necessary to build six barges that can be joined together to form a single platform from which to perform the annual 4th of July community fireworks show at the center of the lake. As of Friday, September 4th a total of $13,255.00 had been collected toward the target goal of $24,000. If you intend to contribute to the effort but have not yet done so, please do so now. 

Please include the following DONATION FORM with your contribution amount clearly noted and indicate if you’re available to help with the construction of the barges. 

The Board will meet on Wednesday, September 16th to discuss the achieved result and determine appropriate next steps. 

One Doggone Windy Day!

The windstorm on Saturday, August 29th will surely go into the record books for some of the strongest winds, if not strongest ever recorded in August. 


Local meteorologists are still a bit in awe over the power of the storm Saturday that has become the earliest windstorm on record in the Pacific Northwest -- by several weeks!   The prior date on the calendar for a major windstorm to strike? October 2 -- more than four weeks later than our most recent storm. According to the tracking on the peak gusts, some of the gusts experienced Saturday were stronger in some spots than some of our greatest wind storms on record.

Now granted, wind storm damage depends a lot on not only the intensity of the storm, but the track and whether the peak wind field is over populated areas or not. The storms compared to the Saturday storms -- the Hanukkah Eve storm of Dec. 14, 2006, the Inauguration Day Storm on Jan. 20, 1993 and the Oct. 12, 1962 Columbus Day Storm all did far greater damage than the storm this weekend -- one reason was the Seattle metro area took the brunt of the storm, and second, the storms were considerably stronger. But there were indeed some spots that of the 4 storms had their windiest day Saturday.


Missing Items:

Several neighbors in our area have written the blog to report paddles, boats and large inflatable structures washed up onto beaches on the north end of the lake.  If you are missing something, please take a tour of the north end to recover your item.  If you have something to report (lost or found) it’s recommended that you post the item in the Angle Lake Neighborhood Site of Nextdoor.com (requires a valid user login). Help for creating a Nextdoor.com account is linked HERE.

Clearly marking your post number or phone number on the item in indelible ink would make for a much more efficient means of recovery, else someone could misinterpret the item as being abandoned and may use or dispose of the item as they see fit. 

Fun Fact:  Did you know that Clyde 'Fuzz' Hill is recognized as the individual to name the Hanukkah Eve Storm?  

Construction Alert: South 200th Street

Roadway restoration begins along S 200th Street: Traffic shift starts on Wednesday, August 26 

Crews building the Angle Lake Station will begin restoring S 200th Street between 26th Avenue S and International Boulevard as early as Wednesday, Aug. 26. Crews will replace the roadway, curbs, gutters and sidewalks. They will also place a final layer of asphalt and paint permanent stripes on the roadway. Crews will maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction along S 200th Street during this work.

This work is expected to take up to 5 months to complete and is weather dependent.
PHASE 1: Crews will begin on the south side of S. 200th Street. Traffic will be shifted to the north.
PHASE 2: Crews will begin on the north side of S. 200th Street. Traffic will be shifted to the north.
What to expect:
  • 24/7 lane closures along S 200th Street.
  • Potential motorist delays on S 200th Street and International Boulevard.
  • Turn lane closed from eastbound S 200th Street to northbound International Boulevard*
Motorists heading eastbound on S 200th Street from the vicinity of Des Moines Memorial Drive will not be able to turn left onto International Boulevard to head north.

Detour: From S 200th Street heading east, turn left onto 26th Avenue S heading north, turn right onto S 188th Street, then turn left onto International Boulevard to head north.
  • Work will typically occur during daytime hours between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
  • Some pedestrian detours may be necessary. Signage will help pedestrians get around the work.
  • Noise from digging up existing sections of roadway and equipment operations (trucks, excavators, bulldozers, tractor trucks, saw-cutting equipment).
  • Night work and lighting to illuminate the work area.
  • Businesses are open 
There will be changes in access to a few local businesses in the area. Look for signage to help direct you to business parking.

*Subject to change. Please look for messages on the Variable Message Signs for the most up-to-date information.

Who Runs Your City?

SeaTac will host its first Community Leadership Academy scheduled to begin Wednesday, September 9th. Applications are due 8/24 and only a couple spots remain to be filled.


The program is intended to increase community involvement while sharing information about how city government operates. The academy will include presentations on topics including fire, police, parks, streets, and more. If you’re interested in learning about how the City of SeaTac works, please apply!

The nine session academy will take place on consecutive Wednesday evenings from 6:00 until 7:30 pm starting September 9th through Wednesday, October 28th, concluding with a presentation at the November 10th Council meeting.

ACT NOW! Applications were set to be due August 21st, however the deadline has been extended until Monday morning, August 24th.  Applications are available from the City Website. If you need additional assistance contact Kaylene Sum at (206) 973-4835.

Curriculum
  • Session 1: City Council, City Manager, City Clerk.
  • Session 2: Public Works
  • Session 3: Parks and Recreation
  • Session 4: Finance, Human Resources
  • Session 5: Community and Economic Development
  • Session 6: Fire
  • Session 7: Police
  • Session 8: Municipal Court, Legal
  • Graduation Recognition at Regular Council Meeting

The series requires a minimum of 10 students, there are currently 8 students confirmed.  Only two more interested persons to ensure that classes will be available starting September 9th. Access the application at the following address: 

Fill out the form, print, and deliver a completed copy to the City Clerk’s desk before 10 AM Monday to be included in this great opportunity to become more informed about city operations.

Saying is one thing, Doing is another.

The Angle Lake Shore Club is in the middle stage of a Capital Call out to the members and residents around Angle Lake who support the interest of bringing back the community fireworks show to the center of the lake.  

On numerous occasions the ALSC Board had received feedback from a majority of our members expressing favor of bringing the display back to the middle of the lake so it can be viewed by all lakeside residents recognizing to do so would necessitate some type of floating platform. This requires that a minimum of 6 residents would need to commit to hosting a barge, pledging to support it financially with matching contributions provided by the remaining club members and lake residents. 

Thus far we have a preliminary design and secured a minimum number of residents committed to host a barge. The next step is to ensure that the club has adequate funds to finance the other half of the barge commitment. 

The Club will be accepting donations toward the fireworks barge fund until the end of month, with the cut off scheduled for August 31st. We will keep the books open until September 7th at which time we will make a final tally of the total funds collected and go forward with plans to build the 6-7 barges if our financial goals are met or accept that the fireworks will solely be dependent on the city from here on out if donations fall short of our goal. We see no other options at this time.  If our goals are met or exceeded, the club will begin construction in September and continue through this year until completed.

We received one ‘anonymous’ letter addressing concerns of this effort relative to code compliance. If this is a concern and a reason for withholding your donation please be advised of the following:
  1. The barge concept was initially presented to us by the City who stated specific guidelines we must follow to insure that what we are doing will not fall under any type of permitting process.
  2. The presence of the barges on the lake is similar to having a pontoon boat and must be registered with the state as such and comply with all requirements set forth for owing a vessel.

We encourage all members and residents to consider returning a DONATION FORM with your contribution clearly indicated and indicating if you’ll be available to help volunteer for construction of the barges. Please discuss this with your neighbors if you want to insure we always have a fireworks show that can be enjoyed by everyone around the lake.

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