City briefs

City briefs for the cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park can be sent to brice@heraldnet.com or mailed to 4303 198th St. SW, Lynnwood, Wash. 98036, attention Pamela Brice. E-mail is preferred. Include contact name with area code for publication in the newspaper. Briefs are printed on a space-available basis.

Bike helmets required in LFP

Lake Forest Park City Council approved a helmet ordinance at its meeting Feb. 13. In the city of Lake Forest Park, helmets are required for all persons riding bicycles, regardless of age. Persons caught riding a bicycle without wearing a helmet may face a $25 fine.

The council considered extending the ordinance to require those 17 and under who were using skates, skateboards or scooters, but voted the idea down.

The city, Third Place Commons and Cascade Bicycle Club will be holding a helmet sale between 3 and 6 p.m. on March 25 when residents can buy helmets for the reduced price of $8.

Grace Cole Nature Park named in LFP

Lake Forest Park city council voted to name five contiguous parcels of property the city owns located at 28th Avenue in the Hillside neighborhood the “Grace Cole Nature Park.”

The council considered naming the land a “preserve” but decided that naming the property a “preserve” might discourage residents from entering the property, walking on trails and enjoying its natural environment, council staff said.

LFP police support Special Olympics

The Lake Forest Park Police Department is starting to raise funds for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics 2003. Last year police departments nation-wide raised $15 million to support Special Olympics, of which Lake Forest Park Police contributed over $2,000 raised from the police’s annual dunk tank and raffle event at Picnic in the Park.

For more information or to make a contribution, contact the Lake Forest Park Police Department at 206-364-8216.

Friends of Fircrest hold meeting

Friends of Fircrest are holding a public meeting at 2 p.m. on March 9 at the Washington State Public Health Lab Conference Room, 1618 N.E. 150th in Shoreline. For more information, contact Alice Hardman at 206-523-9936.

King County Monorail meeting

Citizens for King County Monorail (CKCM) will hold an informational meeting at 7 p.m. on February 26 at a Kirkland business, CuiZam, 11200 Kirkland Way, Suite 220. CuiZam is located a few blocks west and south of the N.E. 85th Street exit from Interstate 405.

Interested citizens are invited to attend and learn about the prospects of connecting King County neighborhoods via monorail. For more information, go to the CKCM website at www.kingcountymonorail.org or call 206-860-4366.

Citizens for King County Monorail advocates the creation of a citizens commission to study and prepare plans for a county-wide monorail system. Routes could connect Bothell, Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue, Renton, SeaTac, Southcenter, Federal Way, and other county locations with each other and Northgate, the University District and downtown Seattle.

State YMCAs honor Rep. Kagi

Every two years, the YMCAs of Washington state select two lawmakers (one from the House and one from the Senate) to receive the Strong Kids, Families and Community Award.

On Feb. 20, the state YMCAs presented Rep. Ruth Kagi (D-Lake Forest) with that award in recognition of her leadership role to strengthen support of children, teens and families.

A long-time advocate for children, Kagi chairs the House Children &Family Services Committee.

According to the YMCA, the award is presented to lawmakers “who are strong advocates of kids, families and communities and who, in their personal and professional lives, exemplify the YMCA values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.”

Police offer citizen’s academy

The Shoreline Police Department, together with the King County Sheriff’s Office is holding a Citizen’s Academy, a program to increase understanding between citizens and the police department through education to give citizens a better understanding of the law enforcement role in the criminal justice system, and an appreciation for the many challenges facing law enforcement in today’s complex society.

The class is limited to residents of Shoreline, or those who work in the City of Shoreline. It will be held every Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. March 25th through May 27th at the King County Sheriff’s Office Precinct 2 in Kenmore. The class size is limited and will be filled on first come, first serve basis. Applications are available at the main Police Station and Neighborhood Storefronts. There is no cost for this great experience. For questions please contact: Sgt. Kain at 546-6674, Officer Akers at 363-8424, or Officer Obstler at 546-3636.