Another Area Construction Project Announced

Southwest Angle Lake Neighborhood receives a new moniker with the announcement of yet another new construction site.

Hot on the heels of several 2014 announcements identifying new construction projects with in the area, the City of SeaTac is now seeking bids this month to build a new 7,120 square foot fire station in what is now being labeled as the Angle Lake Station district. The plan calls for a state- of-the-art facility on South 200th Street just one block from the new Angle Lake light rail station and will replace an existing, outdated station that has been in operation since 1957. The estimated cost of construction is $3.1 million.

The City began planning for the station several years ago and will open the facility around the time the light rail station begins operations in 2016. The new station will sustain the City’s current high level of protection and service and augment the operational needs of the Fire Department. The upgraded complex ensures that fire and emergency services remain in the neighborhood and are readily available to the new development planned for this part of the city.

The station design is inspired by the Greene and Greene craftsman style of the early 1900’s, was designed by TCA Architects. The design team also included Barker Landscape Architects and Pyramid Engineering who helped develop the plan which includes streetscape landscaping culminating in a prominent rain garden to help mitigate run-off from paved surfaces.

“The new station is an important part of establishing the new light rail district as an active, transit oriented neighborhood,” said City Manager Todd Cutts. “Its distinctive design and public features will provide a focal point for the community. We are looking forward to what this new amenity will mean to our future development plans.”

“The new station will be a public building that the community will appreciate for years to come, thanks to the outstanding design team assembled to help make the City’s vision a reality,” said Parks and Facilities Director Kit Ledbetter. “What we need now is an outstanding contractor to turn the vision into a reality.” 

No formal plans have yet been announced regarding how the existing fire station will be used when the new station is in full operation. Some local residents have suggested that the facility be used to house an 'Artist Workshop', others have suggested a restaurant / bar be located there. Additional suggestions are welcome. Please submit your suggestions to Economic Development Manager Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@ci.seatac.wa.us.

Road to the Super Bowl Cuts Through Angle Lake!

The road to the Super Bowl travels through Angle Lake on Sunday, January 25 as fans will gather to give their Seahawks a World Class send off to the Championship Game!

As the 12s from around Angle Lake; SeaTac; South King County; and the Region plan to give a loud and proud send-off to the Seahawks when they fly to Arizona for the Super Bowl Sunday morning, drivers should also prepare game plan of their own to account for some I-5 ramp and 188th Street closures.

WSDOT says from about 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, the ramps to and from South 188th Street and I-5 will be closed. During that time, fans will line S. 188th to wish the Seahawks well on their way to Sea-Tac Airport and Arizona. And the City of SeaTac has also announced through a Press Release that it  will also be closing S. 188th Street; no one will be able to access I-5 from South 188th Street during the closure. Angle Lake Residents will need to use the 200th street on ramps to access I-5. 

While the Seahawks haven't officially announced this year's send-off route, last year's route took the team from the VMAC in Renton to Highway 405, I-5 then S. 188th in SeaTac. Thousands of Seahawks fans, decked in Seahawks attire and waving 12 flags or signs, lined up along the route to show support for the team

WHAT: Seahawks Super Bowl Send-Off

WHERE: South 188th Street, SeaTac, WA

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. (start lining up at 9 a.m.)

WHY: Go Hawks! Why else?

(NOTE: Times may be adjusted without advanced notice)

For those who were not able to participate in the first Seahawk Super Bowl Send Off and would like to get an idea of the excitement which will take over on Sunday, click the following link to last year’s blog post for videos from the event: http://anglelakesc.blogspot.com/2014/01/gather-12s-this-sunday.html

We hope you'll join us out on 188th Street dressed in blue and green attire to display your pride for our defending World Champion Seattle Seahawks!

GO HAWKS!

2015 ALSC Board of Directors Announced

The Angle Lake Shore Club (ALSC) is pleased to announce the results of the 2015 ALSC Board of Directors Election.

Board Members are elected by a majority vote of the club members. Ballots were distributed at the 2014 Members Only Christmas Party to all active members present. Votes were cast and returned in the individual hermetically sealed envelopes and gathered by our security volunteers who delivered them to the accounting team which remained sequestered in a private room until the final ballot was tallied and the results were confirmed. This year you have elected the following individuals to a full year term as members of the Board Class of 2015.

Wait a minute… who are we kidding?  Due to no one stepping forward to replace any of the existing board members and for the fact that none or our existing board members had the sense to step down, we’re pleased to announce the following individual’s will remain in place for yet another year, each retaining their prior position of responsibility.

Back Row - Rosalyn; Jim; Marge; Fuzz; Julie; Steve; Debbie
Front Row - Judy; Lonnie; Tani Rae

ALSC Officers

  President – Lonnie Goulet

  Vice President – Jim Todd

  Secretary – Julie Hill

  Treasurer – Judy Williams

ALSC Board of Directors

  Auditor – Marge Murtha

  Advisor – Steve Beck

  Marketing – Rosalyn Rombauer

  Public Relations – Fuzz Hill

  Welcoming Committee – Debbie Beck

  Photography – Tani-Rae Standridge

In addition to planning, coordinating and executing our Annual Club and Community Events, our Board is prepared to make a priority of bringing a major fireworks display back to the lake for the enjoyment of the entire community. This will be achieved by focusing effort on creating a collaborative program featuring a few select lakeside neighbors working in cooperation with the ALSC to build and secure up to six barges (400 square feet each) from which to launch the display from. 

Details of this program were shared with members in attendance at the Christmas Party and further details will be shared via the Blog and Club Newsletter in the near future. Questions relating to this program may be submitted to the blog email address for a reply. 

Here’s looking forward to another wonderful year on the lake – we’re so glad that you’re a part of it!

Plunging Into A New Year

Veterans of Angle Lake’s annual Polar Bear Plunge were in agreement about one thing: It would be an absolutely perfect day for a swim, if it weren’t for it being just 30 degrees outside!

Click on the picture above to view the event photo album

The noon forecast called for a not-exactly balmy high of 34 degrees at the Angle Lake Manor Beach, forcing me to take notes using a pencil after the ink in my pen froze. I started to debate the wisdom of this year’s editorial decision to force myself into the lake again for journalistic purposes. However it appeared that most of the other beachgoers were more enthusiastic than apprehensive. Several participants were returning for their fifth consecutive year while several more were there joining for the very first time. The larger of the crowd wisely chose to come visit with neighbors; enjoy the delicious snacks and warm refreshments provided by the Angle Lake Shore Club to all participants; and to watch in bewilderment and amusement as the plungers partook in the swim.

“Ten minutes!” was called out by Jonathan Standridge. The beach got anxious, with some more-seasoned plungers starting to remove clothes. At five minutes, most of the beach was in odd states of undress – pantsless but wearing a down jacket, for example, or bundled up in a scarf, gloves, a hat and a bikini. We each staked out a spot on the shores amid the other people who were intent on freezing to death, and waited for the official countdown to hit zero.

Finally, it was time. As the clock turned to noon, a countdown was done with great enthusiasm by Coralie and Rosalie (aka: the Vennetti Twins) and a line of people ran toward the water screaming, though I wasn’t clear if they were in pain or just excited.

Recalling my first experience in doing the dip, most plungers find that adrenaline blocks the initial shock of entering the cold water until full submersion occurs. It is when you dip your head under that your lungs begin to protest the sudden temperature change, breathing comes in short gasps and after righting yourself, you realized your in water too deep to stand in. That is when the swimmer instincts kick in and you frantically make your way to the swim dock. Emerging from the water, perched atop the platform you feel an immense sense of achievement which quickly erodes away when you realize that you still have to make the trip back to the shore before you’re done! After a moment for mustering the necessary courage (or after you realize that it seems warmer in the 40 degree water than it does standing in the 30 degree air!) you jump in and desperately make your way to the blazing fire that beckons you back to shore. While it seems nearly an eternity to make the full round trip, the whole affair lasts about 3 minutes in total; returning to a normal body temperature takes considerably longer!

All in all, it is a less painful experience than one might imagine. Aside from feet lingering in a state of partial frozenness for a few hours, the pain and suffering inflicted by the lake really is quite minimal. And as evidence of returning veterans, any unpleasant memories are erased by the passage of twelve months time before the next New Years Day Polar Bear Plunge.

A special shout out of recognition and appreciation is given to Tani Rae Standridge and her team of volunteers who organized and successfully executed this extraordinary community activity. A collection of event images captured by Tani Rae and Jonathan Standridge; Julie Hill; and Valerie Vavrick are available for viewing at: http://bit.ly/1DkkXIu

Go Jump In A Lake!

Once a year for the past 7 years, when the frigid waters of the Angle Lake are at their coldest, a unique breed of creature migrates to the private shores of the Manor Community Beach to engage in a strange and glorious ritual. They are called Plungers, their event is Polar Bear Plunge and it’s an Angle Lake tradition. Raising awareness and charitable donations for the Tukwila Emergency Food Bank, these unique creatures dive into the icy lake and celebrate the occasion the only way they know how—by freezing their buns off!

A Reason to be Freezin’

Please consider joining the ‘courageous’ few who’ll symbolically dive into the new year by literally diving into the frigid waters of Angle Lake for the annual Polar Bear Plunge. Original justification for this act was simply because it was a crazy, wacky thing to do. However, sensible reason to justify this act has been added in effort to support a food drive to help reduce hunger in our area. 

We are encouraging all participants and spectators to bring cash or check donations to be given to the Tukwila Pantry to assist their effort in providing meals to members in community who suffer from hunger.

When you think about it, $50 in the average family household may produce a couple meals at best but according to the Tukwila Pantry website, they have the ability of turning $50 into 500 meals! That’s an incredible use of limited resource. However, the website also reports that the Tukwila Pantry Emergency Food Bank operations serves nearly three thousand households representing some nine thousand individuals. That requires a lot of $50 contributions and that is where we all can help by offering any size of financial contribution. 100% of your donation will go to the Tukwila Pantry to serve toward these needs. Non-perishable packaged food donations will also be accepted.

A Chance to Win

To encourage participation, a raffle drawing will be held for a chance to win one of several Angle Lake Shore Club T-Shirts being offered. Simply by showing up to the event at the Manor Beach on New Year’s Day you will be entitled to one raffle ticket for a chance to win; Showing up in costume (regardless if you’re planning to plunge or not) will earn you a second ticket; bring a donation of ten dollars or a non-perishable food item and you’ll receive another raffle; and finally – taking the Plunge will earn you yet another ticket for an additional chance to win a prize! 

Angle Lake Manor Club Beach

3419 South 194th Street

January 1st, 2013

11:00 AM Gates Open, Light Refreshments Offered
11:45 AM Raffle Prize Drawings
12:00 PM The Big Plunge
01:00 PM Conclusion

A fire will be burning to warm by and hot coffee and other refreshments will be available for participants and spectators to enjoy before the plunge. A small commemorative gift will be awarded to all participants that enter the water. Special recognition will be given to each participant that achieves Polar Cub Club status be swimming to the dive platform and back!

Hints and Safety Tips:

• Dress Up in costume over your swimsuit to add whimsy
• Come Early. Parking is limited. Carpool or come by boat.
• Anyone with heart problems should consult your health care provider before participating. If you don't participate, you’re still welcome to join us and watch.
• Do Not Stay In The Water Longer Than 15 Minutes. Body heat is lost 30 times faster in the water than in air.
• Keep Your Outer Clothing On until swim time and remove any wet clothing before getting back into dry clothes.
• Have Fun!

A filmed overview from the early years is available for viewing at the following link: http://bit.ly/16VAELw

Last years photos are available at this link:
http://bit.ly/16VDSP8