May 30, 2018 — You'll find in this issue:
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Apartment Fire displaces 13 families
At about 3:20 a.m. Tuesday, May 29, Kirkland Fire Department units responded to a multi-family structure fire at 10835 NE 68th St, the Westview apartments. Kirkland Engine 22 arrived on scene first to find one unit well involved in fire and extending to second floor apartments and adjacent trees behind the building.
The fire was upgraded to a second alarm. Units from Kirkland, Bothell, Redmond and Bellevue arrived on scene.
No injuries were sustained. Four apartment units were destroyed by the fire, while two others sustained heavy damage. None of the other units will be livable for an extended period of time.
The Red Cross is helping with 13 families who were displaced by the fire. NE 68th St, closed to traffic for about two hours, was reopened in time for the morning commute. Kirkland Fire Department personnel remained on scene throughout the morning for overhaul and investigation. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Traffic Alert: National Alliance on Mental Illness Walk
Commuters should expect traffic delays on Saturday, June 2, due to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walks Washington event to be held at Kirkland Marina Park. A route map is posted online.
Traffic impacts will include:
- Kirkland Avenue west of Lake Street closed to traffic from 6 to 11 a.m.
- Southbound lane of Lake Street S between Kirkland Avenue and 2nd Avenue S will be closed to traffic from 9 to 11 a.m.
- Heavy pedestrian traffic along Lake Street S and Lake Washington Boulevard from 9 to 11 a.m.
For more information, please read the press release online.
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Your voice will help shape the future of Parks and Community Services in Kirkland
Community members are urged to register to attend one of a series of workshops that begin next week that will help identify the community’s values on how to fund parks, community services and recreation programs as the Parks and Community Services Department plans for the future. The City wants to hear from a diverse community using Parks services and encourages community members to sign up and participate in one of these workshops.
At each workshop, City staff will collect participant input on how each of the parks, recreation programs and community services benefits the community. Participants will divide into small groups to examine the various programs and services provided by the City’s Parks and Community Services Department and will provide input on the community benefit versus individual benefit of each program. City staff will use this input to help develop resource allocation and cost recovery options to present to the City Council later this summer.
Meeting dates and times are as follows:
- June 4 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at North Kirkland Community Center multi-purpose room
- June 4 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Peter Kirk Community Center multi-purpose room
- June 5 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Peter Kirk room
- June 6 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Peter Kirk Community Center lobby room
Please register today to give your input. For more information, including on how to register, please read the press release online.
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Town Hall on Gun Safety and Community Safety
Community members are invited to join the City Council and staff for a robust conversation at a Town Hall on Gun Safety and Community Safety. The event will be held on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lake Washington High School Theater (12033 NE 80th St).
The Council wants to hear ideas from the community on actions the City might undertake to reduce gun violence and keep Kirkland safe. They want to know what you think about:
- Improved enforcement of existing laws and regulations
- Education and training programs to support responsible firearm ownership
- Mental health support and initiatives
- State and local legislation on firearm safety
The Town Hall event is the first of several community engagement actions from Council Resolution R-5312, which was adopted by the Council on May 1, 2018, and relates to gun safety and community safety. The City will also be gathering public input on this topic in other ways possibly including interviews, focus groups and a survey.
City staff will present a report of community feedback to the City Council on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. The report will be available online on Friday, July 13, 2018, as a part of the City Council Agenda packet. The City Council will use the community feedback as they consider options for City budget initiatives, the City’s state legislative agenda and possible changes to City ordinances and policies.
For more information, please read the press release online.
Volunteers needed for Town Hall event
Interested in helping the City host the Town Hall event? Two volunteers are needed to help set up the Town Hall, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Also, six volunteers are needed to run the event and clear up afterwards, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. To register to volunteer, please contact Patrick Tefft ptefft@kirklandwa.gov. For more information, please contact David Wolbrecht: dwolbrecht@kirklandwa.gov.
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What’s your vision for the Rose Hill and Bridle Trails neighborhoods?
The City is undertaking a comprehensive neighborhood plan update for the North/South Rose Hill and Bridle Trails Neighborhoods and NE 85th Street Subarea this year, to be completed in 2018. Neighborhood plans are documents that chart the course for the neighborhood’s future.
The community is invited attend an Open House on Saturday, June 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (11605 132nd Ave NE), in West Building Room W-401.
At the Open House, participants will explore topics such as mobility (transit, pedestrian and bicycle greenways), land use, parks and innovative ideas from the City’s newly adopted Housing Strategy Plan. Share your perspective on draft vision statements that express how the neighborhood will look and feel in the next 20 years.
For more information, visit the Neighborhood Plans website.
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Toss your styrofoam at Styrofest
Recycle your styrofoam, plastic bags and film at the Kirkland Styrofest on Saturday, June 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kirkland Public Works Maintenance Center (915 8th Street).
Everything must be clean, dry and empty, and please remove packing tape and labels. Please bring photo ID as this event is available to Kirkland residents only.
For more information, visit the City’s Styrofest event webpage.
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Assist Metro plan transit in Kirkland and beyond
Metro is asking community members in Kirkland, Bothell, Kenmore, Redmond and Woodinville what they think about transit service in their communities. Your input will help Metro create proposals for improved service and new travel options that would take effect in 2019.
Take Metro’s online survey by Sunday, June 24, and attend a public Community Conversation meeting in June:
Please visit the project webpage for more details.
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Congrats to KITE STEM Challenge winners!
Lake Washington Schools were awarded $41,500 in the Kirkland Interactive Technology Experience (KITE) STEM Challenge last week at a ceremony hosted by Google and the Kirkland Parks Foundation.
Kirkland Middle School earned $3,000 for first place in the middle school category and Peter Kirk and Thoreau elementary schools each earned $3,000 for first place in the elementary school category. The money received by the winning schools will go to increase STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming.
Read all about all the winners in this Business 425 article.
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Helpers sought for downtown clean-up and beautification
Want to pitch in to make your walkable City more beautiful? Come join volunteers from US-Japan Volunteers at a series of clean-up events in Downtown Kirkland on three weekends in June:
- Sunday, June 3, starting at 11 a.m.
- Saturday, June 9, starting at 3 p.m.
- Sunday, June 17, starting at 3 p.m.
Volunteers should plan meet at the Kirkland Transit Center, Bay 4. Although some tools will be available, volunteers should also bring tongs, rakes, gloves and paper bags if possible.
An optional coffee social will happen after each event.
For more information, please contact Sarah Ellerbrock at wsforum@gmail.com or 425-829-7763. RSVP is required through the group’s Facebook page by 8 p.m. the night before each event.
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Bike Everywhere Day success
To the 512 bicyclists who stopped by the City’s Bike Everywhere Day booth: thank you! You helped make this day a great success across the Puget Sound region.
Even though Bike Everywhere Month is wrapping up, the reason we celebrate bicycling is because of its positive benefits on personal health and regional traffic. Why not make it a Bike Everywhere summer?
For more photos and information about the City’s Bike Everywhere Day Booth, visit the Facebook album online. Photos courtesy of Leann Crosby.
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Alternative Formats
Persons with disabilities may request materials in alternative formats. Persons with hearing impairments may access the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service at 711.
Title VI: The City of Kirkland’s policy is to ensure full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by prohibiting discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex in the provision of benefits and services resulting from programs and activities. Any person who believes his/her Title VI protection has been violated may file a complaint at 425-587-3021 or TitleVICoordinator@kirklandwa.gov.
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