Kirkland Weblog

Knowledge Nuggets to Share...

I don't know much (go ahead, insert smart-ass comment here), but I will share these tidbits I know for now.  More later. 

-Charlie's Burgers- CLOSED. 

- Jake's "Life is Good" is closing- I heard Marty and Reagan are moving to Cali which makes me sad b/c they could quite possibly be the two nicest happy people on the planet.  Everything is on sale if you hurry in!

-Weds Market is moving back to Marina Park this year.  Opening day 6/5.

-Park Lane- moving fwd with finding funding to create a 'festival style' street, where cars can still park there during peak hours but then it will close off for fun events and all be walking/seating. LOVE.  

-A friend of mine is putting on this mud run and it totally looks like fun (even though it's not in Kirkland) on 7/13. www.themudapalooza.com 

-Sweet & Sassy- women's boutique opening in what used to be the other half of Bikini Beach.  Is this the same one that used to be in downtown Kirkland years ago? need to investigate!

- Zaw Pizza- artisan take/bake pizza with wine pairings. Heard great things.  Opening in Crush Footwear's old spot next to Fox Cleaners.

-2CH- I still have no idea what is going on in this old spot across from Columbia Athletic Club. They created a drive-thru, the city stopped them, then they un-did their drive thru and created parking and re-lined their lot.  Seems silently still there now.

 

 

 

Summerfest 2013: A Seafair Sanctioned Community Event

The Kirkland Events Foundation is proud to announce that Kirkland Summerfest has been selected by the Seafair Foundation to be a Seafair Sanctioned Community Event. Summerfest joins the Kirkland Classic Car Show as the only two Seafair events in Kirkland. With this designation comes "the promotional power of the Seafair brand and its extensive marketing campaign to generate exposure and attendance for participating community events in the Greater Seattle Area," according to Jill Farley, Seafair Foundation manager.

The second annual Kirkland Summerfest is a weekend-long celebration of art, music, food and culture taking place August 9-11 (the weekend after the hydroplane races). Summerfest features an opening night special presentation of Shakespeare in the
Park with The Tempest, performed by the Seattle Shakespeare Company. Over fifty musical performances, plein air artists, robotics competitions and demonstrations, and a whole host of kids activities including Touch-a-Truck, Radio Disney and the fun, games and rides in the Kid Zone. Most attractions atSummerfest are absolutely FREE. Applications for vendors, performers and sponsors are now open!

The Kirkland Events Foundation is a Kirkland-based nonprofit creating Kirkland events for the benefit of Kirkland. All net proceeds from the Kirkland Events Foundation are returned to our community in support of those events which cannot support themselves such as the Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks and the Summer Concert Series.

Remember: not all events are created equal. Support those events which benefit our community.

Congratulations to the Summerfest team on being recognized as a Seafair Sanctioned Community
Event. See you there!

 

Newtown Memorial in Kirkland this FRIDAY 12/21

Newtown Memorial Candlelight Vigil

“You must be  the change you wish to see in the world”~ Ghandi

Dear Kirkland Community,

We invite you to come together as a community to honor the children and adults who lost their lives in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday. Although this is a very busy time, we encourage you to take this opportunity to join together for remembrance and
healing.

Come and write your messages of support to the families in Connecticut and we will send your notes to the families in a
care package for the holidays.

We will have music and a few moments of silence at 7:00pm

Date:  Friday, December 21st  

Time:  Drop in 6:30-8:00

Location:  Kirkland Eagles F.O.E.

258 Central
Way, Kirkland 98033

Santa at Kirkland ParkPlace

Did you know that you don't have to go to the mall to visit Santa? He is right here in Kirkland, but his location is a little hidden this year, and so he's not feeling the charms of the season that our children bring him.  Go have a chat, take some pictures, spread some cheer! Tucked back by the movie theater at Kirkland Park Place is St. Nick himself, and there's toys to play with, no line and you get your photos developed promptly.  The photographer, Michael, with John Galt Productions, is keeping Santa's shop open for the following days/hours:

Dec 1st and 2nd...11am-7pm

Dec 9th and 9th....11am-7pm

Dec 11th-14th.....12pm-7pm

Dec 15th-24th......11am-7pm

Then you can always mosey on up to The Heathman to check out their living tree in the lobby, which will be donated to Everest Park in January.

Vote for PSE's Design Contestant from Kirkland

The irony of this does not escape me.  Puget Sound Energy is doing a "Re-Energized by Design" challenge and we have a Kirkland resident that is a finalist! Making us proud!  Rosalie Wessels is one of 20 and needs your vote before November 18th so she can be considered for the final selection interview.  After that, six contestants will be chosen to participate in a room-by-room design challenge that will show you how you can bring energy efficiency to simple home projects.

I wish that Tom, the most energy-efficient Kirkland Blog reader on the planet, was in this contest too. I'll be he'd come up with some awesome ideas to win him the GE lightbulbs, Frigidaire appliances and $5k grand prize. I think Rosalie should call him in as her secret weapon.  Just sayin'.   Until, then let's rally for our Kirkland girl and get her some more votes.  I just checked and she has 34 votes while the person in the lead has 169. Feel free to share your energy-saving tips for her here too . ~j

Kirkland Hometown Values Goes Mobile

We all love a deal. And now Kirkland Hometown Values...yes, that's the coupon magazine you get in the mail every quarter along with 30,000 other Kirkland residents, has expanded their reach to the digital world.  Now you can check out their  cool mobile website  and their iPhone and Android App that allow consumers to access this money saving tool while roaming the earth. For the free phone app, just search "Hometown Values" in the Android Market or iPhone App Store. You can discover deals from local vendors like Zeek's, Rock Star Tan Bar, EyeCandy, Sky Mania, Mezcal Grill, Sylvan, Northwest Aerials, and Party for Less just to name a few.  And don't be like me where you go someplace b/c you have a coupon and then totally forget to use it when you are paying anyway.  Blonde.  Definitely blonde.

 

Paddleboarding in Kirkland- Be Smart

I'm on the waters of Lake Washington 4-5 times a week and I've been watching you.    And I worry about you.  Really, I do.  I think the SUP (stand-up paddleboard) phenomenon here is fantastic.  It's a great chance to get on the water, work those shoulders/balance/core and take in some beautiful scenery while you are at it.  For those of you that don't know me, I am a boater/waterskiier and I own a SUP too.  I get it.  But here's the problem----when I am boating and you are paddling straight across the middle of the lake, I CANNOT see you (especially at sunset).  You look like a toothpick, which in other circumstances might be a compliment, however here it is not.  I've been taking some photos lately so you can see what I am talking about.  It's like a "Where's Waldo?" photo-shoot..

   


Maybe I'm getting old. I don't want to lecture, but I do want to make you aware because I know that you feel so tall and obvious standing there on your board..... but you are almost invisible, especially when you are dressed in a black wetsuit.  There are no traffic lanes or speed limits in the open water and often boaters are looking into the sun and have a 30mph wind whipping them in the face (and unfortunately many aren't paying full attention or have a beer in their hand too).  Stay along the shoreline if you can or wear some brightly colored clothing. 

The US Coast Guard now considers a SUP a 'vessel' which means you must have a PFD on board and a sound-producing device (besides your voice).  So now I see people paddling with a vest thrown on top of their boards.  PUT IT ON.  It seems slow and calm and harmless but nobody ever expects an emergency.  "Boats don't have brakes and unconscious people don't float" was one of the notable comments I found on this US Coast Guard Blog about SUP.  A few years ago I gashed my head open with my waterski in a bad fall---it was crystal clear on that day why you always have a driver AND a spotter.  Never thought I would need my third person to help drag me out of the water and adminster first aid that day.  Just like you never think you'd 'need' a lifevest on a paddleboard. 

Paddle-boarding is totally worth trying if you haven't done it. Places like Perfect Wave do rentals by the hour and will get you geared up.  Just be smart- wear your ankle leash, flotation device, a whistle, some bright clothes and stay along the shoreline where you can.

I spoke with Deputy Chris Bedker of the King County Sheriff's Office Marine Rescue & Dive Unit today.  If you are in a designated swimming area, you are not required to have a lifevest  (Houghton Beach, Juanita Beach, Waverly Beach Park). He emphasized that for kids 12 or under you MUST be wearing your PFD. The Deputy also advised that you wear brighter colors and be aware of the weather and water temperature and wear thermal protection accordingly.  The fee for a citation of not having your PFD is $87, and they try give SUP's a break by giving warnings when you don't have your sound device on board.   Enjoy these last weeks of summer........safely!  ~j

 

 

Youth Suicide Prevention Forum in Kirkland

Not something we typically like to talk about, but given recent circumstances I think it's important to make sure that we are all paying extra close attention.............

Youth Eastside Services (YES) is hosting a Youth Suicide Prevention Forum on Wednesday
July 25^th from 6:30 to 8 p.m.  The forum is in response to several youth suicides in Kirkland over the
past year and will take place at Kirkland City Hall’s Peter Kirk Room, 123 5^th Avenue.

 “Research has shown that kids who attempt suicide are in intense emotional pain, and most just need someone to recognize and respond to that,” explains Debbi Halela, Director of Youth and Family Counseling Services at YES. The forum will help
parents and those who work with youth identify common signs and take steps to
prevent another tragedy.

Halela also acknowledged that many youth are still working through their grief over the loss of a classmate, and that the potential for copycat actions exists. “Our goal is to shed some light on this little-talked-about issue and provide people
some tools and resources in advance of the upcoming school year,” explains Halela.

The forum is free of charge and open to parents from any community.  It will last approximately 90 minutes, with
time for questions. For more information, contact YES at 425.747.4937 or info@YouthEastsideServices.org .

 

 

Kirkland Crime Mapping App

This is a pretty cool app- sorry if you already get the city updates and have seen this, but thought this was really useful.  Mr. Safety (my husband) will certainly have an close eye on it.  And it's much more user friendly than the 5-0 radio iPhone app I downloaded recently that a friend told me to check out- which is a police scanner and I can't understand a word they are saying.  Anyway- this is cool- check it...

Starting today, Kirkland residents can search various types of crime by location or city-wide through the online website www.crimemapping.com. Through a grant from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority, the Kirkland Police Department can provide crime data near a resident’s home, a Kirkland business, or school to those who create an online account with CrimeMapping.com™.  Browsers can view crime incidents that have occurred within the previous 180 days.  Data is transferred from approved police case reports to the system.  The system is updated Tuesday through
Friday.  Crimes types displayed include arson, assault, burglary, public disturbance, robbery, motor vehicle theft, and various other crimes. Users can also subscribe to receive free automatic customized crime alerts viae-mail for their neighborhood.  In addition to incident data, browsers canclick to crime prevention tips.  To directly access Kirkland data, go to http://www.CrimeMapping.com Washington State, and then select Kirkland or link to the portal from the City’s website at www.kirklandwa.gov/crimemapping.

 The Kirkland Police Department is encouraging residents to begin familiarizing themselves with the
program.  A detail presentation is planned for the Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods on June 21, 7 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers, 123 5^thAvenue.  Kirkland neighborhood associations that would like a demonstration can contact Neighborhood Resource Officer Audra Weber at 425-587-3451 or aweber@kirklandwa.gov.

 “We are pleased to host this web based community crime mapping program as it promotes trust and transparency by keeping the citizens of Kirkland well informed regarding recent crime activity in the city,” notes Kirkland Police Captain Bill Hamilton. 
“We genuinely want our community to be the eyes and ears of their police
department and to do so, the community needs to be familiar with crime
incidents where they live and work.” 

Kirkland Police officers will also be using the program to help them more easily identify crime trends
in their assigned patrol districts.

 

Heathman Hotel Closed until August 1st

Many of you have already heard about The Heathman having to close for a few months due to a major waterline malfunction that did extensive damage to the hotel, spa and restaurant ( I tweeted it last week, are you following meeeeeeee? LOL).  This makes me so sad- not only for all of us that love to stay, spa and dine there, but especially for all those over at the Heathman that are having to deal with this unfortunate stroke of luck.  If you have reservations or an event, please call 425-284-5800 to get help with making alternate arrangements. 

Just received this update from the Heathman- good news:

– The Heathman Hotel, Kirkland’s premier, full-service luxury hotel, today announced that The Heathman Hotel, Trellis and Penterra Spa will retain all employees after an unexpected temporary closure last month. All employees of the full service property will not only keep their jobs, but will be paid their regular salary and will receive full benefits until the property reopens.

On May 25, The Heathman Hotel experienced a catastrophic water main break causing major damage to the existing property and will remain closed until August 1.

“Our employees are the most valuable part of our business and we will continue to support them through this unexpected and unfortunate turn of events,” said Les Utley, general manager of the Heathman Hotel. “The commitment our staff provides to our hotel, restaurant and spa is the reason our guests keep coming back.  We wanted to offer the same commitment by keeping each and every one of our staff members employed during this temporary closure.”

In an effort to support local business, The Heathman Hotel has also reengaged the original designers, contractors and architects to complete the hotel, restaurant and spa renovations.

The Heathman Hotel, Trellis and Penterra plan to reopen in August. For additional information and updates, please visit http://www.heathmankirkland.com/.