Kirkland Weblog

Strange Downtown Sighting

Cruising through downtown Kirkland this weekend and couldn't help but notice this tent of Obama-bashers.  Is this really how some people choose to spend their Saturday afternoon?? How unproductive is that...... and check out the guy on the corner waving at me, haha.  :-P  ~j

What Happened? The Median Memorial on 98th

Everyone is asking if it was a pedestrian/crosswalk fatality over by Juanita Village....but it was not.  It was also definitely not a memorial laying to rest the extreme dysfunction of our city council.  That controversy is clearly in full throttle.
Sadly, there was a single car collision late last week where a man drove into a telephone pole (there are no brake marks) and died from his injuries the next day.  The driver was the only person in the car.  It is possible, but still undetermined, if this was an alcohol-related incident.

Holy Snap It's HOT!

Congratulations!   We have survived the hottest day here E-V-E-R.  We broke the record high temperature for Seattle today at 102 degrees at SeaTac.  I had to take a photo (left) of the thermometer reading as I was leaving the gym today- it says 109??!! (you didn't think you could use this as an excuse to skip your workout, did you?).  ~j

Sterling Bank Robbery!

The Sterling Bank at 230 Main Street (next to Taco Del Mar) in downtown Kirkland just got robbed this morning.  That would explain the helicopters and sirens!!  The thug is about 6 feet tall, 185 pound white male wearing a hat, ski mask and white tee shirt.  He escaped on foot- so I just double-locked my door and put the garage down (amen for air-conditioning).  I wonder if they ever caught the serial robber from Chase Bank or is this the same guy branching out? 

The police are sending their robot into the bank now to check out a suspicious package that was left in there after the robbery.  Rumor has it that much of downtown is blocked off, so avoid if you can. ~j

Kirkland's Hometown Values- ONLINE!

Check your mailbox this week for the latest issue of Kirkland Hometown Values.  This is one of my favorite coupon mailers because there are really useful ones that I use such as $3 off a Zeek's Pizza, 10% off classes at Northwest Aerials (you don't have to be a new customer), $2 off Chevron carwashes and lots of others.  The printed copy comes out quarterly. You'll even see the Kirkland Weblog this issue!

The thing I didn't realize is that you can also print lots of local coupons online here.  So, technically, you can print that Zeek's coupon every time you go to order that large pie. In addition to Kirkland savings, you can access coupons for wherever you might be heading.  There are over 30 different regions covered in Washington alone, and many out-of-state too.  Times are tough, so that means coupons must be in style!  Don't be scared- do it and save! ~j

Find the Kirklandweblog on Twitter

Alrighty- even though I don't entirely get the phenomenon around Twitter, we are now tweeting.  Twittering? Twitting? So confusing.  One more thing to keep track of but I figure this builds my case for Steve to get me an iPhone.  Even though we're kinda lost, it's ok if you follow us, we promise not to bug you every day.  The ID is KirklandWeblog.

I was Attacked by Dustbunnies

I have been computer-less for about a month now.   I'm sorry if you haven't heard from me, but now you know why.   We THOUGHT my hard drive was fried. This is a little embarrassing, but I am going to take one for the team in order to save you a little money and a mountain of wasted time and frustration.  When I had the guys from Click Engineering pick-up my CPU and run diagnostics on it they discovered the inside was covered in dust.  And trust me, this is not from lack of use (ask my kids!).  Apparently every six months or so we should be cleaning the dust out of the inside of our computers.  Who knew?  PC users-there's a little screw in the back that loosens and allows the side wall of your hard drive to glide open.  You're then looking at the guts of your machine and an empty cavity which likely has a bunch of dust sitting on it.  A paper towel and can of air to blow it out should work just fine. Since I learned this lesson the hard way, I thought I would enlighten you too.

Now, onto better gossip.

WHAT IS WITH 2CH?!!! I saw they had a nice little write-up in the Kirkland Reporter this week, which is kind of ironic because about 2 days ago I stopped there to read the small barely legible handwritten note on their front door.  It said something about being on 'vacation' and therefore closed for the next 2 weeks.  As I was turning around in the parking lot I happened to look in the window and notice there is NOTHING in there.  No counter, no register, no nothing.  Someone bringing it out the back door and loading it into a truck. That's some vacation.  This place is like a bad boyfriend and I just can't figure it out.  Are you there for us or not??

There's some good news too: the sand volleyball court on Lake St (next to Beachhouse Grill) is being re-vamped.  It's a collaborative effort between local company Volleyball USA, some Eagle Scouts and the city.  Should be super cool when it's done in just a few weeks so hold onto your swim trunks til then.

Callahan Concierge just opened in downtown Kirkland if you're in the market for a personal assistant.  They offer services for individuals, families, corporate, high end residential and housekeeping.  It's $35/hr with a two hour minimum.  They even offer a drive-up service where you can pull up on your way home from work and they'll get your items right out to you. A girl can dream, right? 

And such a bummer about Farrah and Michael Jackson.  That's a lot of heavy retro sadness.  It got compounded yesterday when I mentioned Farrah Fawcett to a college-aged kid and he had never heard of her!  As I was explaining her sex symbol icon status and reminiscing over favorite Charlie's Angels episodes, I realized I sound an awful lot like my mom and I should just embrace my old age instead of fighting it. ~j

Summertime on the Water in Kirkland

It's one of the things everyone loves about our city- the lakeside!!  And with things heating up around here, I thought there were a few things you'd like to know ......

-What is with all those little dead fishies?  I've seen them too- the small silver ones that are at Marina Park, Waverly Beach Park and Houghton Beach to name a few.    Lots of people are noticing them and concerned, but the parks dept told me this is a natural occurrence that happens each year as the lake temperatures rises.  So nobody dropped their Clorox bottles overboard, it's just nature doing its thing.  Oddly enough, I happen to know a biologist that works for the government and studies local fish and he was delighted to enlighten me on the complicated ecology of Lake Washington.  So I'll net it out- with warmer temps come natural spring turnover which brings the de-oxygenated water up from the depths as surface water sinks and we lose some little guys in the process.  It's warmer than usual this year, so the turnover is probably bigger than in the past. Luckily, our problem does not look like this guy's (photo left).

-After listening to that lesson, you deserve a treat.  Go straight to Trellis at The Heathman and ask for the special peanut butter and chocolate cookies that aren't on the menu.  To die for. Thanks to the Rexs for sharing this secret with me.

-Agua Verde has arrived at Houghton Beach.  You may have visited this popular spot on Lake Union, but now we have one of our own in the waterside hut previously occupied by Jimmy's on Houghton. Smoothies and quick casual Mexican food is awfully convenient after some sunning and park play.

-Random thought:seems with each new arrival there's a departure too.  Farewell to Cafe Harlequin.  I never could afford to eat there, but I'm sure it was good.

-Waterski and wakeboard lessons are on their way to downtown Kirkland!  Being someone that waterskis a few times a week, I'm a bit biased, but I think this is a super cool idea.  My friend and coach, Mark Lord, owns Seattle Water Sports and will be offering lessons by appt Mon, Weds, Fri, Sat and Sun from 6am til noon starting this weekend until Sept 30th.  Additional hrs in the afternoon and evening may be available based on demand and you can also book group lessons in advance.  They will be operating out of the main Kirkland dock.  Half hour lessons are $50 and equipment rentals range from $5-25.  Mark is a great coach- he's patient (a requirement when working w/me, haha) and breaks things down so that you can build skills in a logical progression.   Whether you are a first timer or advanced, this is a great opportunity to hit the water with some know-how.  Seattle Water Sports will also be giving free tube rides this weekend as part of Kirkland's water event from 12-4  Saturday the 20th (there's also free sailing and kayaking and discounted para-sailing). Call 206-310-2628 to arrange a ski or boarding lesson.

-While we're talking about water sports,  I feel obligated to mention boating safety.  Here's a link to the Kirkland Boater's Guide (who knew?).  Always have a third person as a spotter on board when towing a tube, boarder,  skier or surfer.  When an emergency comes up, say....maybe one Janis waterskiier falls and takes her ski in the back of the head, that extra set of hands is critical in dealing with the situation.  Always have enough flotation devices on board too- and if someone goes overboard you throw it to them (don't go after them and jeopardize your own safety). I saw the sheriff stop a couple of kids on waverunners the other day that were crossing wakes just missing one another.  The water always seems so much less regulated (more drinking, no license) you just have to be careful out there.  Oh, and if you see a ski course that looks like a bunch of buoys in a formation (Kenmore, Yarrow Bay) please please stay away from it.  Bad etiquette. ;-)

-One more thing.  Did you know you could be learning how to play water polo?  And it's FREE.  There's a fun group of people that meet at Marsh Park EVERY Wednesday around 5:30/6pm and have extra equipment available for anyone that wants to join in the fun of kayak polo (don't worry, the boats aren't tippy).  No experience necessary.  And they do this year round.  Whoa.     ~j

Purse Snatchers- Be on the Lookout!!

There's a guy/girl team of purse snatchers that have been scoring some loot around the eastside lately.  Here's their M.O.- You're grocery shopping at QFC, Safeway or Fred Meyer, perhaps, with your purse in your cart.  Just as you go to check out the new arrival of fresh strawberries you turn around to your cart and your purse is gone.  It happens that fast!

But of course, our PD is on the case.  They've teamed up with Bellevue and Bothell, where similar crimes were occurring, and have identified the culprits.  But they are not in custody yet!! Keep your eyes out for an old maroon Subaru station wagon (circa 1989) and if you spot it, call the police 425-587-3400 or 911.  These two should be in custody by the end of today.

I chatted with a woman name Dawn that was victimized at 2pm on Sunday at the Totem Lake Fred Meyer.  She just stopped in a for a few things and her purse got boosted in the produce section (which is also unfortunately conveniently located right next to the exit).  When she went to desk to report it, the FM employee replied, "Oh no, not AGAIN! "  Bummer their security guard was mysteriously missing at the time. Anyway, the sticky fingered thief quickly proceeded to  QFC, Bartels and other nearby spots to do a little charging of her own.  So, let's keep 'em on your shoulder ladies (and men with a man purse, I'm cool with that too)!! ~j

 

Annexation Rears Its Head Again

No nodding off over there.  Because if you aren't paying attention, City Council plans to just sneak annexation right on by us this time.  Last year there was a very long and public campaign around the feasibility of Kirkland annexing the "PAA" (proposed annexation area) which consists of North Juanita, Finn Hill and Kingsgate.  There were about 612 meetings, 392 forums, 213 discussions, 927 debates and then at the end of this very heated topic's lifespan came the conclusion that it was just going to be too costly for the City of Kirkland.  The numbers could not be justified.

So- fast forward to present day and suddenly the numbers can magically work!  Abracadabra!  There's a deadline that's getting ready to expire in order to qualify for state and county financial incentives, so the council quickly had a study session last Monday that was followed by a special council meeting on Tues  where they heard public comments.  Alas-the council voted in favor of annexation by a margin of 5 to 2.  I had Bob Sternoff tased when I found out he voted in support of it (photo left).  Ok, maybe that's a pic from the Police Academy class we're in together--so we just have to agree to disagree. This means that annexation will now go before the Boundary Review Board and be on the ballot in November (only for members of the PAA, not Kirkland residents?!).

 Now I am admittedly grossly over-simplifying this topic, but I still can't understand why annexation would be a good thing for Kirkland or its citizens.  Nobody ever gives a straight answer on this one. Or at least an answer with some compelling information.  At least let us vote on it.  We're in our own financial pickle right now (last I heard?).   I've listened to people talk about how the PAA residents already use our parks and shop in our shops.  That's great!  Go ahead! Enjoy! Then someone was saying that Kirkland cherry-picked the business districts in Totem Lake in the last annexation and now we have to 'do the right thing' and annex the neighborhoods.  Huh?  This is an emotional decision now?  That's like adopting a baby when you can't feed your own kids.  My favorite is when someone told me that we can't afford NOT to do this- and that Kirkland could in fact be annexed itself by another neighboring city, like Redmond or Bellevue, if we couldn't get our act together.  ACK. The funds we'd receive from the state/county might help initially, but our expense structure would also inflate and what happens when that catches up with us in ten years when the money runs out?  And what about the service levels we're already accustomed to? Would we be paying more for less? I know this would be great for the PAA and I would love for them to have better services.  But why is this a good business decision for Kirkland and its people?

Go ahead and comment away, but for the record, I'll say I don't think it's going to make a difference one way or the other.  This annexation seems to be part of some predetermined plan that is operating with the wizardry of OZ.  City workers all talk about this as if it's already been decided.  They're excited for their bigger teams and breadth and budgets.   It's not an 'if' it's a 'when'.  ~j