Friday, September 9, 2016 our meeting will be at the Lake Stevens Fire Department Conference Center 10518 18th St SE, Normally, our Rotary Club Meetings are at the Lake Stevens School District Educational Service Center located at 12309 22nd St NE. We start at 7:30 am. There is a robust continental breakfast available beforehand. Visitors are always welcome. Our mailing address is PO Box 908 Lake Stevens, WA 98258.
Doug Roulstone will be making a presentation about the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission. Captain Roulstone is one of two representatives to the Commission from County Council District #5. He will report on the findings of the latest review.
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Part of the fun from last week's meeting was the identification by the Sergeant at Arms of twins in attendance.
A reminder that this week's meeting is at the Lake Stevens Fire Department Conference Center, 10518 18th St SE off of South Lake Stevens Rd.
CONTEST: Be the first person to correctly identify from where the photograph at the top of this bulletin and at the top of our website was taken from by 7:30 am, Friday September 9th. Email the Editor.
Kate Riley was our guest speaker at last Friday's meeting. Kate is the Community Engagement Manager for the Snohomish Conservation District which is located in Lake Stevens at 528 91st Avenue NE. The purpose and mission of the organization is to work cooperatively with others to promote and encourage conservation and responsible use of natural resources.
The District is over 100 years old and started as a farm program. Funds are raised through a $5.00 per parcel plus $.05 per acre assessment. Other funding is done through grants from groups like the Nature Conservancy. In the State of Washington, there are 45 conservation districts. The Snohomish Conservation District is a political subdivision of state government with no regulatory authority. The District serves all of unincorporated Snohomish County and the cities of Arlington, Brier, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Snohomish, Stanwood and Woodway. The District also includes Camano Island. The District works with a diverse staff ranging from engineers, resource planners, community conservation staff, restoration specialists, a field crew, outreach specialists and administrative staff.
In Lake Stevens in 2013, the District commissioned a study to determine the struggle the lake is having with algal blooms which has been occurring for decades. From the old aerator to the current alum treatment, algal bloom threaten the health and safety of the lake. While the alum treatments work, they are costly and only a short-term solution to a bigger problem. The District and community members came together in June to help plant a new rain garden at the Lake Steven's Chamber of Commerce building at Lundeen Park. Planting a RAIN GARDEN is for an algae free lake. Other programs in the community are designed to work with homeowners and homeowners associations to certify them as a Lake-Friendly Certified home.
The District started a "I Love Lake" program with the city and a five layer pledge. Fifteen businesses signed onto the program from a small coffee shop to Haggen's with incentives from Ace Hardware on aerator rentals to certify homes. Shoreline owners are a big part of the program looking at shoreline discharges, being encouraged to develop rain gardens to address storm water run off, working with Sound Salmon Solutions, developing youth programs, all of which are major tasks of the District.
There is no permanent fix for the lake according to Mayor John Spencer. Maintenance will be required every year. Street sweeping is the only way to impact road contamination being released into the lake. Fortunately, the algae is not toxic. According to Kate, lime is the best solution for lawns in the fall. Another great program.
SKATE BOARDERS UNITE: The next meeting of our skate park project will be on Monday, September 12th at the Lake Stevens Fire Department Conference Center at 10518 -18th Street SE, Lake Stevens at 6pm. Join skate park designers, County and City Parks, City officials at this meeting. Encourage skate boarders in Lake Stevens and surrounding communities to come to this meeting. Rotarians wear your colors at this meeting, after all, this was a project ignited by our Club dating back 10-12 years ago and renewed effort each year afterwards.
Our Club's Lake Stevens Rotary Charitable Foundation Board endorsed supporting the Unity Project and agreed to partner with the Being Neighborly which is a Lake Stevens online Facebook community page made up of Lake Stevens residents. Although the Unity Project is a state registered non-profit, federal designation has not been completed. Our Club's Foundation will accept contributions to the Lake Stevens Rotary Charitable Foundation earmarked for the Unity Project and disburse the funds to the Unity Project for their on-going activities with the capabilities of purchasing supplies and keeping the project going.
The purpose of the Unity Project is to participate in a movement to promote human flourishing. The Unity project is a response to the divisiveness we're seeing around the world. Nancy Belmont is the CEO of the Vessence Corporation formerly Belmont, Inc and leader of the WeLiveBig community. Nancy Belmont felt compelled to create a community project that promotes human connection, an appreciation of diversity and a realization that we all have something in common.
In Lake Stevens, one of the goals currently underway is utilizing Lundeen Park's open field to host a temporary art installation. The organization would like to construct Unity in a day, preferably during a weekend to take advantage of the park's traffic flow and interest from curious observers as well as to increase the interactive experience of the entire community. Sharing the event, promoting it throughout the community postings among the various local Facebook groups as well as the Visitor Center Facebook page and promoting it through the Artist's Facebook page.
Most importantly, the Unity public art project examines how labels both help and hinder our ability to build unity as a nation and as a human race.
Unity is a circular arrangement of 32 poles in a large field. Each pole is labeled with an identifier. For example, "I'm a parent" or " I speak English as a Second Language" etc. With yarn, participants tie to each pole with which they identify. A canopy of interconnectedness forms as more people participate. In the end, we see that we are all connected by something. This project celebrates the uniqueness of individuals and raises awareness of how labels impact our perception of and interactions with the world. View this video to learn more about Unity Pole.
Lake Stevens School District schools begin on Wednesday, September 7th. Please remember this as you travel about the community. Children will be walking to and from bus stops. Many students will actually walk or ride their bicycles to their schools. Remember to obey the rules of the road in regards to school buses.
When the school buses have activated the red warning lights and extended the STOP paddle, you must stop your vehicle if you are in the same lane as the bus or in the adjacent lane. In other words you must stop when you and the bus are on a two lane road and the red lights are going and the STOP paddle is extended regardless of the direction you are going. If you and the bus are on a four lane road you do not have to stop if you are traveling in the opposite direction of the bus. If, however, you are going the same direction as the bus you must stop when the red lights are going and the STOP paddle is extended. In all cases, you know the bus will be stopping when the bus driver activates the alternating Amber Pre Warn lights. The amber pre warn lights are different from the amber hazard lights. Every vehicle has amber hazard lights. The rules of the road regarding school buses apply no matter what community you are traveling in.
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