City of Lake Forest Park

17425 Ballinger Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
www.cityoflfp.com
206-368-5440

August 2021

School Zone Cameras Begin September 1

On Wednesday, September 1, 2021, Shoreline School District schools will be back in session. Students will be physically back on school grounds and school bell times go back to normal. The flashers and school zone cameras will be active and enforceable beginning September 1, 2021.

The cameras will be active and enforceable during these times:

Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
*Wednesday Early Release times are 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.

It is very important to remember that drivers are still required to obey the posted speed limit and lower their speed to 20 mph when children are present in the school zones, regardless of warning flashers and designated school zone times. School classes may not be in session, but other events may be taking place (sports, after school events, etc.). Officers may still issue infractions for this violation.

"Early Release Days" will be held on Wednesdays when there are five days of school in the week (no holidays or non-student days) and release students 100 minutes before the regular end of the school day.

"Half Day Releases" will be held on November 24 (day before Thanksgiving) and June 17 (last day of school) for grades K-12. There will also be half-days for elementary schools and Cascade K-8 for conferences on November 1-5, 2021, and March 7-11, 2022.

The camera system is operational during normal school days.  The system is not operational during scheduled school holidays and summer breaks.

For more information, go to www.shorelineschools.org and click on Calendar to view the 2021-2022 school calendar.

Summer of Music Outdoor Concert at City Hall!

It’s a parking lot party! On Saturday, September 18, at 1:00 p.m., the City of Lake Forest Park is partnering with Third Place Commons to present a fun-filled, all-ages outdoor dance party! 

Come to the parking lot in front of City Hall and bring snacks, blankets, chairs, and sunscreen and boogie down to the rousing standards and good-time party faves of Rainy City Riff Raff, a longtime favorite of the Third Place Commons Weekend Music program. There will even be a bubble zone for the kids! Don't miss out, go to ThirdPlaceCommons.org for more on this and other free events.

Riparian Restoration Fosters a Healthier McAleer Creek

--from the Tree Board

As you drive or walk along McAleer Creek, you’ll probably notice areas where the streambank and trees are choked with ivy. There are other less visible invasive plants, too, whose behavior threatens our local environment. Invasive plant species can clog waterways, increase erosion, poison our pets, and destroy natural habitat by smothering native flora. In fact, the aggressive spread of invasive species has increasingly been recognized as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity.

King County awarded the City a WaterWorks grant to fund invasive plant control, the purchase of replacement plants, and riparian restoration along the creek. The project began in 2020, and the work done so far has been a success, with a professional restoration crew having eradicated ivy and other invasives along a quarter mile stretch of the creek. This area will be planted with healthy native plants this coming fall and winter.

The restoration crew completed further invasive plant control on Monday, August 16, cleared trash and hand-removed ivy remnants from the site. On the shoulder of Perkins Way, they treated bindweed. It is not practical to remove bindweed by hand due to its ability to re-sprout from tiny fragments. The crew also treated remnant individual stalks of knotweed that have regenerated since last year’s treatment. Knotweed is a state-designated noxious weed: destructive, competitive, and difficult to control. Where appropriate, aquatic-approved herbicides were used.

A healthier McAleer Creek environment can improve water quality, reduce erosion and flooding, and improve habitat. It’s good for all--people, our native plants, and our local wildlife.

Update on the Police Department’s First-Ever Bike Rodeo

On Saturday, July 17, the Lake Forest Park Police Department held a very successful Bike Safety Rodeo, with over 50 kids in attendance! In addition to learning about bicycle safety, they rode their bikes through a chalk course at Lake Forest Park Elementary School. Giveaways included 25 free helmets and drinks and gift bags facilitated by LFPPD Support Services Officer Christian Hansen. 

Thanks to Lt. Diego Zanella and Officer Hansen for putting on this event for the community. It was very nice to see so many families having fun with the officers and learning about bicycle safety! Special thanks go to Northwest Tri & Bike, Gregg's Greenlake Cycle, and Harvy's Bike Shop for donating so many gifts for the kids.

We look forward to seeing you at next year’s event!

LFP Students Win City’s Champion Tree Contest

• Evelyn, age 9, of LFP Elementary. She found a majestic Douglas fir in Grace Cole Park whose trunk has a circumference of 165 inches.
• Elise, age 9, of Soundview School. She tied with Evelyn by each independently discovering the same grand big-leaf maple in Pfingst Animal Acres Park whose trunk measures 238 inches around.
• Julius, age 8, of LFP Elementary. He tracked down a Western red cedar in a private yard whose trunk measures at a circumference of 161 inches.

Leaves, Rain, and Public Works!

• Please do not create piles of leaves expecting the sweeper to sweep them away. Use your yard waste tote so they can be composted.
• DO NOT rake leaves and debris into the street, ditch lines, or rights-of-way.
• The sweeper cannot handle large piles of leaves. If the sweeper encounters large piles of leaves, the driver must drive around them, or the pile of leaves could damage the street sweeper and the process may come to a screeching halt.
• Municipal Code 16.25.025 makes it illegal to collect lawn clippings, leaves or branches and discharge them into the path of surface water.
• Never try to clear a storm drain or culvert if there is moving water greater than knee deep, and always be wary of traffic when working near a roadway.

• Turn your leaves into beneficial compost. Autumn leaves are a great source of high-carbon material for your compost pile. Alternate layers of shredded leaves with the other materials you normally add to your compost pile (scraps from fruits and veggies, grass clippings, weeds, etc.) and let it sit over the winter. Whenever you think about it, aerate, or turn the pile. Your compost will be ready to use by spring.
• Shred leaves and use them as mulch in vegetable gardens and flower beds, around trees and shrubs, and in containers. Just add a 2-3" layer of shredded leaves to the beds, keeping the mulch from directly touching the stems and trunks of the plants. The mulch retains moisture in the soil, stays cool, and limits weed seed germination.
• Use a mulching mower to shred your leaves once a week until they have all fallen, then "leave" them on your yard. While the leaves break down during winter, they'll shade your soil and provide it with nutrients, which means fewer weeds to deal with in spring.
• Hoard them! Save a bag or two of leaves in your garage over the winter. In spring, adding that brown material to your compost pile makes your compost just right for the season.

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