Columbia Winery in Woodinville along with its sister winery Covey Run, has been acquired by Ascentia Wine Estates, a newly formed private company based in California.  Columbia Winery has been making wines in Washington since 1962 and was the first to produce several varietals in the state, including Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Pino Gris. Columbia's tasting room in Woodinville is on a month-to-month lease and is planned to be open at least through year's end. For more details:Seattle Times Article 6.11.08Puget Sound Business Journal 6.12.08 by Michelle BlueYour Guide to Woodinville Community, Neighborhoods & Real Estateswww.MichelleBlue.com 06/14/2008

May 2008By Greg Perry, Kirkland Realtor AREA 600 May-08 May-07 % Change Median Price $499,950 $525,000 -4.80% Inventory 885 602 47.00% Pending 85 150 -43.30% NWMLS AREA 600 is another huge Eastside area that includes North Kirkland, parts of Kenmore, S. Bothell, Woodinville and goes east through Duvall.  The border on the north is the Sno. County line.  Overall 600 holds 44.6 weeks of inventory.  The majority of sales in area 600 are being made on Thomas Guide map page 506, which is the most western portion of the area.  All price ranges here are Buyers advantaged markets.   As in the other Eastside areas, real trouble starts at $1mil. Compiled from but not published or verified by NWMLS. 06/13/2008

My home sold 19 days after being listed.  I was pleased but not surprised.  Why?  Because I spent the past year getting the home ready to show and the 1.5 acres of gardens ready for harvest.  I also did a market analysis of the homes with similar acreage and houses within two miles.  We then priced our home about 8 percent lower than the comparable homes.  Why 8 percent.  Well homes are selling about 6 percent lower this year than last in this suburban area of Seattle.  We wanted to sell quickly so that we could move as soon as possible. Hoping to sell and pricing accordingly is like hoping to win the lottery.  There are too many good properties on the market in my area around the 500 K price that have been sitting on the market for many months.  Pricing our property nearer 450K made it... 05/28/2008

The K-12 Education funding system is broken in Washington State.  Do you want to have some input on how to fix it?  Don't miss the meeting tomorrow - in Woodinville - where you can voice your opinions and learn the current status. Basic Education FundingIn 1977, Washingtonians were watching Lavern & Shirley and paying thousands of dollars for computers that today's $100 cell phone can out perform. Also in 1977 - 30 years ago - the state took a comprehensive look at the way we finance our K-12 education system. We haven't done it since. Join Senate staff and Sen. Oemig in a discussion on how to update our funding structures. Date: May 29thTime: 7:00 PMPlace: Woodinville City Council Chambers, 17301 133rd Avenue NE by Michelle BlueYour Guide to Woodinville Community, Neighborhoods, & Real... 05/28/2008

If you want to get Avondale road resurfaced so you can increase your quality of life, the committee for A Better Avondale would like for you to do the following 3 things that will take all of 15 minutes. 1 If you have not called the CAR (Citizen Action Request) hot line to request maintenance to Avondale, please do so. The number is: 206-296-8100. 2 Keep up to date on the activities related to this grass roots campaign. Subscribe to the Feed Blitz email. Go to www.abetteravondale.org and subscribe in the box under the photo on the main page. 3 If you have not written your local government officials on your concern for Avondale, please do so. An email will do, see addresses below. You can even paste all the addresses into a single email and hit "send" once!A few lines is all it takes. He... 05/26/2008

Congratulations to the Northshore Lacrosse, boys team for wining the Division II finals on Saturday (5/17).  It was a very exciting game against, previously undefeated, Seattle Prep.  Final Score 12-11. What is even more impressive, is the fact that this Northshore Lacrosse Club is just 3 years old.  The High School JV and Varsity teams are just in their second year.  Lacrosse is catching on like wildfire in Bothell/Woodinville and clearly talent and drive abound. Northshore Lacrosse Club Website by Michelle BlueYour Guide to Woodinville Community, Neighborhoods, & Real Estate!www.MichelleBlue.com 05/18/2008

Come voice your opinion!Do you want see Education Funding fixed next year - so we don't need to go through what we went through this year?Do you want to see a quieter, safer Avondale Road put into the budget? (For more info see www.ABetterAvondale.com)(45th District Includes: Woodinville, Duvall, Carnation, Kirkland, & Redmond )State Representatives, Larry Springer  and Roger Goodman are holding a Town Hall meeting on Saturday, May 17th at 1:00pm at the Woodinville Library (17105 Avondale Rd. NE).  They will be reviewing what happened in the 2008 session and would like our feedback.  In Representative Springer's recent newsletter he reviewed the following 2008 legislative issues: (1) Protections for consumers, homeowners; (2) Housing security for families; (3) Education Funding; and (4)... 05/08/2008

Woodniville Wine Country - Feature events for May have been released:  May 10: 11am-5pm  DeLille Cellars & Doyenne Spring Barrel Tasting Event.  Taste wines from their current and next vintage & enjoy appetizer pairings. $25/person.http://www.delillecellars.com/.May 10th & 11th  10am-6pm Red Sky is sponsoring the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour on Mother's Day weekend. http://www.kirklandstudiotour.com/.May 18th 1-3:30 Novelty Hill-Januik Winery - Private reserve tastings in the Cellar Room  with perfectly paired with artisan cheeses and flatbreads. $35/person http://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/May 20th 6:30-8:30pm Woodhouse Family Cellars - Cooking class with Sweet Basils School of Cooking. $70/person www.woodhousefamilycellars.com/home.html Bon Appetit!by Michelle BlueYour Guide to Woodinvi... 04/29/2008

Citizens for a Quieter AvondaleLast night was the kick off of a grass roots compaign to make a positive change for many homeowners who live along Avondale Road and many more who drive down Avondale on a regular basis.  The issue?  Noise & Safety.  The desired change? New pavement material that will reduce the noise and improve the safety.  Any type of asphalt will reduce the noise from what we currently have and the goal is to get something even quieter like Asphalt-Rubber.The problem?  As you might guess - it is funding.  Apparently the road isn't in bad enough condition to make it into the maintenance funding queue - based upon the current scoring and rate of decay - we are looking at 4 years to get on the list.How can we move up this timeline?  Get involved - we will work WITH King C... 04/23/2008

Are you ready for Spring yet? If you are tired of the snow and rain and need a little bit of color, don't miss this opportunity to stock up on plants at the Woodinville Garden Club Sale.   There will be a variety of annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, tomatoes, hanging baskets & geraniums.  Date: May 10th, 2008Time: 9am-3pmLocation: Chateau Ste. Michelle WineryMore info? Garden Club Press ReleasePS: If you really like to Garden and you are looking for more space - I've got a fabulous listing in Woodinville that you really should check out!  Gardner's Dream Home 04/23/2008

The NSD School Board voted to approve many of the budget reduction recommendations last night. The Reduction Plan in Lieu of School Closure was approved in total. See theDistrict Information - 2008-09 Budget Reduction for details. Five items from the original 08-09 plan were voted on individually.   Click on Northshore School District - Budget 2008-09 and then scroll down the page for line items. The other items are still under consideration.Combine HSN/SAS administration ($250,000)Close the Woodmoor pool ($40,000)Eliminate HSN enrichment program ($92,000)Reduce nursing staff ($150,000)Eliminate library techs ($400,000)Michelle BlueYour Guide to Woodinville Community, Neighborhoods, & Real Estate!www.MichelleBlue.com 04/23/2008

  Woodinville Village has been in the media over the past couple of weeks as it deals with the shifting real estate landscape.  As the area home inventory increases there is more financial risk and less incentive for the developers to rush the condos to market.  However the commercial side of things - office space and retail is relatively healthy so a shift in the schedule can still make this project a great success and added value to the Woodinville Community.So what is the latest scoop?Infrastructure. Internal roads, site work, and utilities are all in. Intersection roundabout is in process - contstruction should be complete by year end.ResidentialThe Villas will be available for move-in starting this summer - 20 in July and another 19 in September.  These are the town-homes along the... 04/21/2008

Curious what the meeting is all about?  Here is the agenda - please come!Citizens for a Quieter Avondale Public Meeting(hosted by the Upper Bear Creek Community Council)4/22/08 - 7:30PMWoodinville Water District BuildingAgenda Welcome (2 min): Nancy Stafford, UBCCIntroduction (5):  Citizens for a Quieter Avondale                          Janna Hamed (What is the problem?)                          Megan DeSantis (What do we want the County to do?)Quieter Pavement (10-15): Walter Scott, Quieter Pavement Advocate                                   The "AR Option" and success stories with ARKing County (10): Rick Brater, Roads Manager                          Avondale history and County response Response and follow-up (3):   Citizens for a Quieter Avondale                      Public Comment... 04/21/2008

Not to be outdone, Woodinville Wine Country is also hosting a concert this summer that will feature Woodinville wineries and top regional restaurants.When: Saturday & Sunday, July 26 & 27, 2008Location: King County's Marymoor Park  (6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway NE, Redmond, WA 98052-4801)Saturday: 4:30pm - 9:00pmFeaturing:    Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio   Peter White with Michael Paulo, Gregg Karukas peterwhite.com, MichaelPaulo.com, Karukas.com    Big Bad Voodo Daddy bbvd.comSunday: 1:00pm - 5:00pmFeaturing:  Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio  Mindi Abair mindiabair.com  Tower of Power towerofpower.comInformation and TicketsDon't miss out, get your tickets early and enjoy the fabulous summer (at least I hope we finally get there after the recent snow....).Michelle BlueYour Guide to Woodi... 04/21/2008

If you haven't gone to a concert here - you really should give it a try!I personally believe that this is one of the best open air concert venues around!  Imagine - sitting on your blanket, chatting with friends, good food, good wine and good music.  Often you will see the hot air balloons float over the stage.  What a great time!  I have gone to at least one concert/year for several years.The 2008 Concert Series is posted on their website - tickets are open to the general public on Saturday April 26th.  Don't miss out - these go fast.Hope to see you there!Michelle BlueYour Guide to Woodinville Community, Neighborhoods & Real Estate!www.MichelleBlue.com    04/19/2008

Do you need to turn a fan on at night to drown out the road noise?Some residents along Avondale road say they do.  Read more about this in this recent articles.Seattle Time Article/East Side Addition  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004357881_quietroad18e.html Woodinville Weekly Articlehttp://www.nwnews.com/editions/2008/080414/features1.htm If you want to learn more and have a voice in exploring options with the county - attend the meeting on April 22nd.Location: Woodinville Water District(17238 N.E. Woodinville-Duvall Road, Woodinville)Time: 7:30pm-9:00pmDate: April 22nd, 2008The neighborhoods along Avondale Road from 134th Street to Woodinville/ Duvall Road are gathering together to meet with County officials to explore ways to make Avondale Road safer and quieter. C... 04/18/2008

Washington Realtors(r) is currently encouraging buyers to take advantage of the market, working with a Realtor(r) after all who knows how long it will last! If you'd like a copy of the Free Booklet - Get The Facts Your First Home - send me an email and I'll mail you one!  Better yet - I'd be happy to deliver one in person and provide you with a first class buying experience! 425-785-0434 So Really... Why buy now?Wide selection of housing inventory - which will likely increase in the next month or two.Patience is tolerated - you can take your time, look at several homes and think about your decision.  Bidding wars are rare - in a buyers market you don't typically have to go through this frustrating process.You can make an offer under list price - sellers are considering all offers right ... 04/17/2008

 Woodin was saved and 800+ children will not be shifted around for the 2008-2009 school year - but there is still a $700K budget problem.Where will they come from and how will you be impacted and will we go through this again next year?  Here are the proposed alternative budget cuts.http://schoolcenter.nsd.org/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=75578&sc_id=1208301425&cms_mode=view Stay involved - have a voice in the final outcome.  Voice your opinion  - tough decisions need to be made - lets constructively help the board with this process!In writing - you can still provide your ideas, testimonials, or information about budget reduction considerations to the Board - use the standard board email: schoolboard@nsd.org (the budget and balance email addresses set up fo... 04/17/2008

April 11, 2008 - updates from the City of Woodinville regarding area constructionWoodinville-Duvall Road by the new Hilltop Shopping Center: Paving & Painting scheduled for this weekend (April 12-13).Bottle Neck Relief Project (BNRP)-Southeast Leg:  The City expects to begin construction on the BNRP-Southeast Leg this summer.  This project includes the addition of a southbound left turn lane from SR 202 onto NE 175th street.  In preparation for this construction, the utility companies, PSE, Verizon, and Comcast, will begin relocating facilities in various areas along the south side of NE 175th St between 131st Ave NE and 133rd Ave NE.  PSE utility relocation is scheduled to begin the week of April 14th.  Relocation work will be completed in six weeks and work is scheduled on Monday thro... 04/11/2008

Are you looking for a neighborhood that isn't a "neighborhood" with CC&Rs and all that implies?  Do you want to have a little more space and nice homes that don't look like the home next door? Well drive East on the Woodinville-Duvall road and then turn North on 236th and you will find a variety of homes - some are equestrian, some just have large lots some and some with smaller lots.  Prices range from the $400K+ to $1M+. Home Sales Information April 2007-2008  ActiveListing Price Range Quantity     Average DOM $450,000 thru $499,9991180 $600,000 thru $649,99916 $1,000,000 thru $1,249,999255  474  Summary Price InformationMinimum $450,000Maximum $1,200,000Average $832,500Median $840,000SoldSelling Price Range Quantity     Average DOM $400,000 thru $449,99918 $550,000 thru $599,9992145 ... 04/10/2008