Why Are There So Many Red Buoys With Flashing Lights Along The Shores Of The Lake, Near The Beach Club?

BUOY ON LAKE WASHINGTON

(courtesy of KAI WIKSTROM, Northwest Sportsman) 

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe has recently deployed numerous nets, with orange buoys and flashing lights, along the shores of Laurelhurst, several near the Beach Club, all the way up to Windermere.  

Neighbors have reported that they saw a boat pulling up the nets, approximately 200 feet apart, some containing fish, and then slightly moving them to another location in the same general area. 

The nets are for the tribe's "warmwater test fishery" gauging predator fish populations and what they consume, according to Northwest Sportsman.

In March, the nets were deployed along the east side of Lake Washington.  The  project goes through next month rotating around the Lake. The tribe filed a federal permit and agreement that it would not harm ESA-listed fish, and that it is being done independently of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the article.

A bass angler said in the the Northwest Sportsman article:

These gill nets are a hundred yards long, and strategically placed in areas with high fish traffic.  These nets need to be removed immediately, and will have an adverse effect on not only the fishery, but the ecosystem itself. Gill nets destroy everything they touch, and will undoubtedly snag anything that swims by them, including many fish species, bird species, turtles, frogs, beavers, and everything else in the Lake Washington ecosystem.

A notice filed this week by the Muckleshoot Tribe provides some details on the effort, including that netting began yesterday and will close this Friday, then recur Mondays through Fridays. Up to six boats are allowed to work a maximum of 24 3.5- to 6-inch-mesh gillnets with a max length of 300 feet each. Tribal biologists and enforcement officers will monitor it.

Chillingly, two northern pike were reportedly caught in the nets in the first day, according to a state biologist.

Here is the Northwest Sportsman article written in March.

Six Homes Damaged In 3 Alarm Fire Yesterday Near Beach Club

Burned house at 5131 NE Laurelcrest Lane
(photo courtesy of King5/Seattle Fire Department)

A furnace explosion just after 3:30pm yesterday started a house fire at the unoccupied home under construction owned by Adam and Laura (Szlyk) Selipsky on the 5100 block of East Laurelhurst Lane.

The fire spread to two  homes next door, one to the south, owned by Jeff Hussey, and the other to the north, owned by Gina Trask.

The embers from the fire also started a small brush fire on a nearby hillside, according to Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore.

Embers from the brush fire also landed on three other rooves of homes, as well as damaged siding on another home, just above East Laurelhurst Lane, on NE Latimer Place.

Helicopters were overhead for about 2 hours filming the fire and TV crews were on the ground on NE 41st Street.

About 100 fire personnel arrived on the scene, with firetrucks coming from throughout the city and even Bellevue, one nearby resident told us. Firecrew and PSE stayed at the scene until about 7pm.

One construction worker was taken to Harborview with facial burns and two firefighters were also taken to Harborview,  one for heat exhaustion and the other for a minor injury.

One nearby resident commented "I wonder if there has ever been a previous time with this many fire trucks and firemen in Laurelhurst at one time." And another resident added " We feel badly for those families whose houses were damaged."


.

Entrance to Laurelhurst Lane

(photo courtesy of SeattleTimes)

 

 

NE 41st Street

(Photo courtesy of Seattlepi.com)

 

 

Firefighters running down 51st Avenue NE 

(photo courtesy of Blog reader)

Traffic on NE 41st street

(photo courtesy of Blog reader)

 

 

 

 TV crews on NE 41st Street

(Blog Staff photo)

TV crews on NE 41st Street

(Blog Staff photo) 

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) van and workers on NE 41st Street

(Blog Staff photo)

 

 

51st Avenue NE 

(Blog Staff photo)

Bottom of 51st Avenue NE near the Beach Club 

(Blog Staff photo)

 

Looking up 51st Avenue NE from near the Beach Club

(Blog Staff photo)

 

 

 

Intersection of 51st Avenue NE and NE 41st Street

(Blog Staff photo)

50th Avenue NE

(Blog Staff photo)

 

 

 

 (Blog Staff photo)

(Blog Staff photo)

 

 

News and photo sources:
Seattle Times Blog
King 5
Seattle P-I Blog

Video of the Fire:
King 5

Location of the fire:
Google Map

Laurelhurst Beach Club Summer Party Next Friday, Guests Allowed

The Laurelhurst Beach Club is holding its first "Summer Bash 2011" next Friday, the 29th, starting at 7pm. 

This adult only event (over 21 years old), is open to Beach Club Members and guests (limit 2 per member).

The cost is $10 per person, either cash or check at the door, and includes appetizers, beer, ice, glasses and all the mixers needed for do it yourself  cocktails  You can bring your own wine or other drinks. 

There will also be a coveer live band on the grass, called the Action Slacks.

To attend, call the Beach Club front desk at 524-2010 or just stop by.  The invite says "Please help us get the numbers for drink and food correct by signing up soon."

"Don't miss this one...See you at the beach!!" the invite says.

Beach Club Opens On Saturday With Work Party

Saturday is the much anticipated opening of the Beach Club for residents living within the required boundaries for membership in Laurelhurst.

The day kicks off at 9am with the annual Work Party, in whch al members are encouraged to participate to get the club ready for the summer. Coffee and donuts will be served. The Beach Club will close at 8pm.

From the Beach Club President's recent email on the need for member participation on Saturday:
Neighborhood clubs such as LBC depend on the support and participation, in many forms, of its members and member families. One such form is of course financial.  Thanks to the wise management of LBC's resources by the LBC Board, we again have been able to avoid the need to impose any significant increases in your annual dues.

Another form of participation besides dues are the annual opening and closing work parties, which are also great fun too. This year, to encourage greater member participation in these necessary (and enjoyable) events, we are allowing members to attend work parties in lieu of a $10 additional (voluntary) contribution to your annual dues.


The LBC President also stated that there will be a few changes to the physical facilities, including "modification of diving platforms and guard towers at the end of the dock."

Matt Miller will be returning again for his third summer as Manager of the LBC.

For questions or suggestions for the Beach Club, their email is lbcbusiness@comcast.net.

Laurelhurst Beach Club Board Openings and Summer Position Opportunities

The Laurelhurst Beach Club Board recently sent out an email to members regarding two open positions on the Board as well as a summer jobs for students. Last summer our staff ran into several Beach Club members who weren't receiving the Beach Club mailings and so were glad to see the mailings on the blog.

Here is the email:

The Laurelhurst Beach Club Board is seeking two additional members to fill a vacant position focused on club safety and a newly formed technology position. These members will also contribute to the overall success and long-term sustainability of the club.

If you are interested in guiding this important neighborhood resource please read the position descriptions below and forward a paragraph describ-ing your interest and experience and/or a resume to board member Ellen Reid at etr25@comcast.net.


LBC Board Position - Technology Focus
The board is looking for an enthusiastic member who can improve, enhance, and manage LBC's use of technology. This new and exciting board position is designed to address the use of, and provide insight into, the club's use of Internet, social networking, Wi-Fi technology, and current club software. This position requires solid interpersonal skills as the relationship with the Communications Board Member is critical to implement technological goals. Creative ideas include constructing and main-taining a private/members only LBC website, utilizing ecommerce for club business, and assessing the use of social networking sites for LBC members. Other ideas may include online documentation of incident reporting. Working in tandem with the Membership Board member, assess and develop necessary policies and procedures that support the front desk employees use of software to improve the check in system and support/enforce the guest policy. Data from the software will assist the board in policy adoption. Board meetings are held 4-5 times per year and obvious presence at the club is critical for successful board membership. Experience/interest with web development and computer software preferred.

LBC Board Position - Safety Focus
This position is responsible for a wide variety of safety related issues, not including maintenance. Strong interpersonal skills are required to interact with the club manager, lifeguards, board members, and LBC members on a variety of safety issues.  Oversees club manager's and lifeguard's adherence to American Red Cross lifeguard procedures and processes.  Maintains strong communication with the Club Manager and Board for all safety issues.  Communicates and documents follow up of incidents/injuries of members and guests. Coordinates AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Program.  Employee AED and First Aid certification is maintained. Ensures adherence to the AED program as prescribed by Seattle King County AED Program. Coordinates Swim Test program including collaborating with the Membership Board Member to maintain adequate arm band supplies, flyers describing the swim test program, and posting of swim test results. Communicates to Club Manager or lead guard when children are swimming in area without appropriate arm bands. Assesses and communicates to Club Manager or Maintenance Board Member issues that pertain to safety such as equipment that is being stored improperly or other "at risk" issues.  entors Club Manager and Lifeguards on age appropriate behavior that may be deemed risky and could result in injury to children and young adults

Laurelhurst Beach Board meetings are held 4-5 times per year and obvious presence at the club is critical for successful board membership. Lifeguarding, healthcare, or risk/safety management experience preferred.

LBC Summer Employment Opportunities
Students seeking summer employment at Laurelhurst Beach Club at either the front desk, lifeguarding, or sailing instruction please contact Matt Miller at lbcmatt@live.com or lbccomments@gmail.com.

Christmas Ships Stop At The Beach Club Tonight

In case you didn't get the notice from Laurelhurst Beach Club Board President, tonight is the night the Christmas ships will be in front of the Beach Club.

Doors open at 7:45 and the ships arrive at 8pm for 20 minutes of Christmas caroling with the Belleuve Chamber Chorus aboard the Argosy's Christmas Ship. Then the Beach Club doors close at 9pm.

There will also be a donation box for non-perishable foods for Northwest Harvest.

For a complete schedule of the Christmas Ships stops go here.

(photo courteay of Argosy Cruises website)

Beach Club Closing Sunday With a Work Party

It's the end of the Beach Beach Club season once again.

The Beach Club is open today from 4-9 and tomorrow from 12-8pm. Weather calls for showers all day today with a high of 67 and tomorrow a high of 69 and only scattered showers and some sunbreaks.

Sunday from 9-1pm is the closing work party.

The LBC newsletter sent yesterday says "Please come and assist us in this brief end-of-season effort to winterize the club.  Bring the kids and make it a family effort."

Also mentioned in the newsletter is the Lost and Found, which has become quite large with towels, clothing, goggles, flip flops and many other items looking for their owners. All items not claimed will go to the Goodwill following the work party.

LBC also asks that members who aren't up to date on ice-cream card payments do so asap.

Thanks to the LBC Board and guards for another great summer!

(picture courtesy of guest artist)

Pictures From a Busy Week-end at the Beach Club

With temperatures hovering around 90 degrees both days this week-end, the Beach Club was a popular place to hang out.

The grass was filled with folks enjoying the warm day and coolish breezes off the water and the beautiful view of a very clear Mount Rainier.  Both platforms of the high dives had lots of people waiting to take the big plunge.

And the raft in the kids area was filled to capacity with kids jumping off and parents helping little ones splash around in the water. The adult deck had every seat taken most of the afternoon and the picnic tables were filled for dinner both evenings.

Here are some pictures from the beautiful week-end:

And with today being another hot one, here are some hot weather safety tips.

Check Out This Great Painting Of The Beach Club

A reader sent us this picture that a friend painted a few weeks ago while at the Beach Club.

The person who painted it said "All the kids really helped out, assuring I didn't forget any of their favorite things!"

Extended Hours at Beach Club on 4th of July

The Beach Club will be open until 11pm on Sunday, the 4th of July, according to one of their recent mailings which says:

"The Beach Club will remain open until 11:00 PM on July 4th to accommodate fireworks viewing across the lake. Bellevue will commence their fireworks display at 10:05 PM and Kirkland at 10:15 PM.

Come join us for this fun and safe summer tradition. Please note that the water will close at the usual time."

One of our staffers went last year and said you can see the Eastside firework shows pretty well, as well as a show from Madison Park.

And if you want to see another show, stop by the Laurelhurst park for a great view of the Lake Union Fireworks at 10:15pm.

Also a reminder that the parking lot in front of the Beach Club is closed forcing everyone to park on the hill or beyond. Here is a post we did about this last month.

Last we checked with the Front Desk at the Beach Club and they said every picnic table has been reserved with a long waiting list.  So it should be a very busy day and evening.

During the week, the construction crew has been very good about helping people cross the streets and guiding them around the construction and large equipment by following the sidewalk around the sight to the entrance of the Club.

They also have been helping cars turnaround safely near the site since the turnaround area now is very small. Several no parking signs have been placed at the bottom of the hill designating a temporary drop-off area since pulling up right in front of the Club is no longer possible

One of our staffers said that a worker told him that construction is slated to end the third week of August, quite a delay from when the Board was told it would end a few days before the Club opened last month.  The worker said only one street is left to complete - Laurelcrest Lane.

Here are some pictures of the construction site right in front of the Beach Club entrance:

Beach Club Opens Tomorrow, Limited Parking

(re-posting with an update on the construction situation)

Tomorrow the Beach Club opens for the summer and sunny skies are expected.

Members are encouraged to participate in the opening day work party starting at 9am. They'll have food, drinks and you'll also get the new 22 ounce 2010 Laurelhurst Beach Club reusable cup.

The LBC newsletter says, "Please come prepared to renew your friendships with your neighbors, board members, and your LBC employees - while you help us do what has to be done to prepare the facility for the summer."

Members may find mmuch fewer parking spaces this summer as Seattle City Light continues its utility upgrade originally scheduled to be completed by June 1st.

The LBC Board had a meeting with the City on June 8th to see if work could be postponed or have limited hours during the summer and were unsuccessful with their request at the meeting.

Instead the Board learned that work will continue until August 18th or later Monday through Friday from 7-3pm.

Therefore there is no parking or drop-off available in front of the Beach Club as it stands now, from the LBC's latest communication today. Construction vehicles and earth movers will be moving around and be parked in that area during on and off-work hours.

The Board is still working on other options with the City - having a construction flagger and LBC employee help with getting members through the construction area, opening a portion of the street to members for drop off only, and possible "legal action is being explored" the communication to members states.

"Our number one concern, as always, is the safety of LBC members and their guests. The City's refusal to consider a limited postponement of this project until after Labor Day presents risks that are both obvious and, in the Board's opinion, unnecessarily serious, particularly to small children and the elderly.

But until we resolve or mitigate those risks, it will be incumbent upon each of you and your guests to be extremely vigilant when coming down to the LBC this summer. BE ALERT, BE SAFE, BE CAUTIOUS," the LBC communication states.

There have also been some changes and improvements based on member feedback which will be fun to see:

• New sinks on the Adult Deck and Fireplace Patio
• Guard shack has been re-configured so that the guards can see out better as well as access items more easily in other areas of the club - such as life jackets,etc.
• New outdoor shower, as well as usual foot rinsing area is between the bathrooms
• Both of the older diving boards have been replaced
• Lockable cubbies are available for rent

The Beach Club hours are seasonal and it scheduled to be open until mid-September.

If you haven't been there, and live within the Beach Club Boundaries (generally south of NE 50th) the initiation fee is around $1250 and member dues are about $360 this year.

There are many amenities including the great location, view, sandy beach and life guard enclosed swimming area, sailing program, rental kayaks and more.

Now let's hope for lots of sun and warm days!

(photo courtesy of LaurelhurstView.com)

August evening at the Beach Club

Some pics from last night at the Beach Club. Instead of a nice, summer evening, it was cool and windy. And added to that thunder and lightning.

The guards closed the water and said that they have to wait 45 minutes each time after they hear thunder.

Some die hard swimmers were wanting to swim some laps. Other kids were forced out of the water.

And another family held out as long as they could under an umbrella doing some reading.

Looks like sunny skies this week-end and through next week...fingers crossed.