Just as learning does not end when school lets out, neither does a child’s need for good nutrition. The Northshore YMCA has announced the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program for Children (SFSP). This federal nutrition assistance program aims to help children learn, play and grow during the summer months.
 

The SFSP is designed to ensure children receive a portion of the daily substance they require to succeed. Meals will be made available at no charge to attending children 18 years of age and younger.
In addition, it is the goal of SFSP and the Northshore YMCA to ensure the participants are engaged in fun activities. Whenever possible, activities will be educational and enriching.
 

If you are interested in volunteering at our meal site, we welcome the help. Please contact Abbey at areed@seattleymca.org if you would like to volunteer at the Kenmore meal site, or Helen at hhammer@seattleymca.org to volunteer at the Bothell counterpart. Volunteers must be 15 years of age or older and complete the YMCA’s volunteer application process.
Meals and activities will be provided at the following sites:

First Lutheran Church, Bothell,  10207 NE 183rd St., Bothell WA 98011
Dates of Service: July 8 – August 30; Monday-Friday
Meal Type: Lunch
Meal Time: noon-1 p.m.
Contact: Julie Jacobson, (425) 318-8002

Kenmore Elementary School, 19121 71st Ave NW, Kenmore WA 98028
Dates of Service: July 8 – August 30; Monday - Friday
Meal Type:  Lunch
Meal Time: noon -1 p.m.
Contact: Abbey Reed, (425) 485-9797

Woodinville Village, a mixed-use wine village development, is now able to proceed with development after resolving a lawsuit with the city of Woodinville. Mike McClure, a partner in MJR Development, the real estate firm that began planning the wine village in the early 2000s, said Woodinville wanted the developer to pay them for frontage improvements on the project, such as curbs, gutters and sidewalks. It’s common for a city to charge developers for improvements bordering the project they’re working on, McClure said.
 

After the original project was put on hold, a new developer, Legacy Commercial, bought the note from the bank. Legacy has the same vision for Woodinville Village as MJR did, McClure said, but it’s a bigger company with more financial resources.
 

Walter Scott, who is in charge of brokerage and property management for Legacy, said Legacy inherited the litigation with the city of Woodinville when it purchased the note from Union bank.
 

“There was a dispute between the developer and the city about the amount that was to be paid for two of the three roundabouts,” Scott said.
 

Union bank filed a summary judgment motion saying that the city’s case was unfounded legally, and King County Superior Court ruled the bank was correct.
 

“At this point, providing all legalities are done, I think we’re ready to proceed with development,” Scott said.
Villas have already been built at Woodinville Village. The plans for the development also include several local wineries (including Brian Carter Cellars and DeLille Cellars), restaurants, a day spa, a gourmet grocer, a health club, a hotel and perhaps a distillery or microbrewery.
 

“This is a fairly involved project, and we’re going to be thoughtful and careful,” so as not to oversupply the community and to protect the environment, Scott said.
 

McClure compared Woodinville Village to several other mixed-use developments — Mill Creek Town Center, Kent Station and University Village near the University of Washington — that inspired him and Mike Raskin, the other partner in MJR. They liked Mill Creek Town Center’s “wind-y main drag” with retailers on both sides, and they appreciated how the parking in University Village is designed so “it doesn’t feel like a big sea of parking,” McClure said.
 

But aside from Sonoma and Napa, Scott said there aren’t any other such developments centered around wineries.
 

“It’s so unique,” he said. “There’s not anything like it anywhere.”
 

He said Woodinville Village would take advantage of the “natural beauty of Woodinville” while benefitting the city. The development will raise more than $1 million in sales taxes in the first year, and much more once it’s fully developed, Scott said.
 

Both developers emphasized their excitement about the project.
 

“We’re excited to move the project forward, and we still believe in the original vision,” McClure said.

• Woodinville area residents will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns at a town hall meeting to be held Thursday, June 20, from 7-8:30 p.m. at Woodinville City Hall (17301 133rd Ave. NE). King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski will be joined by Woodinville Mayor Bernie Talmas in providing a county and city update.
 

• State Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland and State Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland will take part in a telephone town hall Wednesday, June 19, from 6 to 7 p.m. to talk with 45th District constituents about issues of concern to them.  
 

Under the telephone town hall format, thousands of constituents will receive automatically generated telephone calls to their homes in the 45th Legislative District just before 6 p.m. The constituents may pose questions for Reps. Goodman and Springer to answer live by pressing *3 on their phones during the call, and they may listen to the live conversation to hear the questions from their neighbors and the representative’s answers.

For more information: Rep. Goodman, 360-786-7878, roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov; Rep. Springer, 360-786-7822 or larry.springer@leg.wa.gov.

Photo by Patti Sternberg Woodinville’s Caleb Hamilton grew up dreaming of playing in the Major Leagues.When I spoke with Falcon shortstop Caleb Hamilton last month, I was stunned to learn that the only college that showed strong interest in him was the University of Washington.
 

At that point, he had signed his letter of intent with the Huskies and spoke excitedly about enrolling in the fall of 2013.
 

Having covered Woodinville’s baseball team over the last several weeks of his senior season, I found it stupefying that no one else vied for Hamilton’s services. At 6’0 and 185 pounds, his smoothness, range and dynamic dependability at shortstop proved a tremendous asset for the KingCo Champion Falcons.
But as ESPN’s Lee Corso might say, “Not so fast my friend!”
 

As it turned out, someone else was taking notice all along. On June 8th, the Washington Nationals drafted Hamilton in the 38th round of the Major League Baseball Draft.
 

“I got word Saturday night at about 4:30 p.m., and yes I was very surprised,” Hamilton said. “I wasn’t really expecting that to happen. It was a huge honor. I had talked to the area scout a couple times but I didn’t hear from him after high school season. So it caught my family off guard too. We had no idea.”
 

One website, NatsGM.com, is already dismissing the chances that the Woodinville product will suit up in the nation’s capital: “Hamilton played both shortstop and pitcher in high school and is firmly committed to the University of Washington, making it unlikely he signs with the Nationals.”
 

But Hamilton, who’s playing this summer for the Taylor team in the Seattle Premier League, is still mentally processing the recent events and communicating with the Nationals.
 

“We have talked on the phone a couple times, and they’re coming up here this week to watch me play,” Hamilton said. “I’m going to meet with them and talk. My family and I are just laying everything out on the table and seeing what my options are. So I’m not really sure at this point.”
 

Hamilton was born in 1995 – the year the Mariners beat the Yankees in the Divisional playoff and remembered best by the famous Edgar Martinez double down the left field line, scoring Ken Griffey, Jr.
Caleb doesn’t remember seeing that moment live, of course. But the team’s presence made an impact on him through the years.
 

“While growing up, I absolutely dreamed of playing in the big leagues,” he said. “I dreamed of playing for the hometown Seattle Mariners, like any kid who would want to play for the local team. But to play for any major league team would be a big honor.”