Ceremony honors submarine vetsThe United States Submarine Veterans Inc. (USSVI) Seattle Base will conduct a formal military ceremony on September 10 at 2 p.m. at the Kirkland Marina pavilion.Local submarine veterans from the 1930s through the 1990s will be participating while a number of World War II submarine war patrol veterans will be present and recognized. A Navy color guard and the Redmond VFW ceremonial team will "pipe" aboard the World War II veterans and senior Navy personnel.There will be a ceremony remembering Navy submarines and crewmen lost at sea from 1903 through 1968. There will also be a Holland Club Induction Ceremony, recognizing nine USSVI members who have been qualified in submarines at least 50 years.USSVI Seattle Base meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the VFW Hall at 4330 148th Avenue N.E. in Redmond. Information: www.ussvi.org.Kirkland Karnival was in JulyIn case you're looking for information about the Kirkland Karnival, which usually happens in September, it already happened. The Chamber of Commerce replaced it with July Fourth festivities at Juanita Beach. I-405 on-ramp closes for seven weeksThe northbound I-405 on-ramp from westbound N.E. 124th St. closed at 9 p.m. August 10 and will remain closed for up to 50 days, reopening in early October. A signed detour will direct traffic to the northbound on-ramp from Totem Lake Boulevard, just to the east of the closed ramp. This seven-week ramp closure is necessary for crews to build retaining walls and realign the ramp. Crews are also widening the north side of the N.E. 124th St. bridge at this location. When this construction is complete, traffic entering northbound I-405 from westbound N.E. 124th St. will be able to bypass the traffic signal at the intersection of N.E. 124th St. and the northbound off-ramps.Drivers of over-height vehicles should use the northbound exit to N.E. 124th St. This is part of Sound Transit's $85.9 million Totem Lake Freeway Station Project. WSDOT designed and is building the project, which adds a bridge at N.E. 128th St., providing a new east-west route across I-405 and will connect to HOV on and off-ramps in the median. The ramps and bridge are scheduled to open in late 2006.For more project information, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I405/TotemLake. To sign up for e-mail updates on this and other I-405 projects, send an e-mail to lyris@lists.wsdot.wa.gov with "subscribe i-405" in the body of the e-mail. City council forumCitizens for a Vibrant Kirkland (CiViK) and the Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods (KAN) are co-sponsoring a city council candidate forum on October 9 at the Kirkland Performance Center.Five of the seven council seats are up for election. General admission will be free to the public. For more information, visit www.CiViK.org. Volunteers are encouraged; please contact CiViK board member Bea Nahon at 828-4747.Monitoring Juanita Beach Juanita Beach was closed for a few days at the end of July and beginning of August due to high fecal coliform levels (presumably from molting Canada geese). As of press time, this beach has been opened. The King County Department of Natural Resources will continue to test levels at this beach through mid-September. For updates, please visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/swimbeach/juanita-closure.htm.Edible Arrangements opensEdible Arrangements, owned by Jim and Mary Rodgers, has opened at 9745 N.E. 119th Way in Kirkland. The store specializes in creating hand-sculpted fruit arrangements. Each fruit bouquet is made to order and can be customized with a variety of all natural fudge dipping sauces, special occasion mylar balloons and a greeting card. Customers are able to place an order in the store, via phone or online and arrangements can be picked up or delivered. Gourmet dipped strawberries and apples are also available. Please visit www.ediblearrange ments.com for more details.Kirkland foundation awards gift to UWThe Pacific Northwest Friends of FSH Research, based in Kirkland, presented their first gift of $50,000 to University of Washington researchers Brian Kennedy and Stephen Hauschka.The organization's president, Terry Colella, and her son Brian met with the researchers at their laboratory to present the check. An additional $50,000 check will be given next year to cover the total research project cost of $100,000. This project will be the first University of Washington research study of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), the third most common form of muscular dystrophy.Kirkland's Colella family started the organization when their son Brian was diagnosed with FSHD at the start of his junior year of high school at the International Community School. In its first year, group raised raised more than $200,000 with a gala auction at the Bellevue Hyatt and through private donations. A second auction is planned for January 28, 2006 again at the Bellevue Hyatt. Donations as well as volunteers are much needed. More information can be found at www.fshfriends.org, 827-8954, FiSHauction@juno.com. Meeting for Totem Lake, North Juanita On September 27 a special combined meeting of the Totem Lake and North Juanita Neighborhood Associations will be held. Kari Page, Kirkland's Neighborhood Association Coordinator, is coordinating this so that interested council members can attend and have the opportunity to meet with the neighborhood associations and interested residents.Topics include updates on the Totem Lake Mall redevelopment, annexation, community projects plannedby each group and community concerns. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in Room Tan100 at Evergreen Hospital. All residents of these areas are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Lynda Haneman at 206-300-7090. The Totem Lake Neighborhood Association meets on the third Wednesday of all other months at Evergreen Hospital at 7 p.m. Although the newest of the Kirkland neighborhood associations, Totem Lake has already coordinated several community projects that will have a significant impact on the community.The association is close to finalizing details for a new public park. Details should be available on it soon. Additional projects are installing covered bus shelters within the Totem Lake neighborhood and adopting a section of King County Road. Another project is compiling a history of the Totem Lake area.The association is also encouraging any community groups within the Totem Lake area to contact the association. The goal is to coordinate efforts with other community groups to work together on projects that will benefit the community and to network together to get information out about the existence of community organization. Anyone or any organizations interested in providing input or participating are asked to e-mail info@totemlakeneighborhood.org or contact Lynda Haneman at 206-300-7090.
By Frank Shiers
In the Big Stress Test of Life, you're asked questions about whether your spouse has died, if you've moved, changed jobs or changed your eating habits. Adding up all these things gives you a number that tells you how much stress you're under and tells you how likely it is that you will start foaming at the mouth or eating your neighbors petunias and worshipping The Great God Tupperware. Something huge has been left off this test. The consequences of this particular stressor is evident to every mother in the nation who has experienced a child going back to school. It's The List. The List is all-comprehensive. The List must be obeyed.
August 6 marked a terrible anniversary: the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.Annual commemorative rites took place in Seattle at Green Lake's northwest shore on that day, starting with a musical program. A chillingly beautiful lantern-floating ceremony followed. Woe to us if we ever forget. But shame on us, too, if we don't remember that life is complex. For starters, I probably wouldn't be here if the bomb hadn't been dropped. My dad, after fighting his way from the Rhone to the Rhine, where he was wounded, had recovered enough in that summer of 1945 to be propped up, ready for action. He later learned that he had been poised to wade ashore with the first wave onto mainland Japan. >Kind of like Keats coughing up blood: Those orders were his death warrant. I don't wake up every morning thankful for the bomb - hardly.
Frost protection? But it is only September! Some of the warmest days in the Northwest will happen this month. Yet, it is not too early, especially considering that we have all incorporated a few, and some more than a few, of the very popular "tender" plants into our gardens. The first step towards effective frost protection is to stop all nitrogen fertilizing of the plants this month. This also holds true for all the other plants. It is time to discourage them from active growth. They need to start the process of going into dormancy. Any new growth at this time will not have time to "harden" off and therefore will suffer from any early winter chill.
International Literacy Day, observed September 8, focuses attention on worldwide literacy issues and needs. It is estimated that 860 million of the world's adults do not know how to read or write. More than 100 million children lack access to education. The theme of the 2005 celebration is literacy and sustainable development.
Eastside Preparatory School announced in August that it has been named one of four schools nationwide to partner with SanDisk Corporation in offering a unique USB flash drive technology to students. SanDisk, of Sunnyvale, Calif., manufactures flash storage products for computers, cameras and mobile phones. Eastside Preparatory School will be using the SanDisk flash drives in its science and literature programs in the coming school year.
Ten local educators from Lake Washington School District traveled to New York City in July to attend the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project Summer Institute at Columbia University.During this five day long workshop, one principal and nine local teachers learned how to teach and inspire their students to become better writers by analyzing their own writing habits and learning from experts in this area. The educators plan to return this fall and implement an improved "Writer's Workshop" into their own classrooms in order to increase student achievement in writing
My family (my brother Stephan and my parents) and I traveled to the Netherlands from June 29 to August 2 and stayed with family there. My mom was born there and still has aunts, uncles and cousins there. My mom is fluent in Dutch and I know a little bit. I can speak more now after our trip!I went to a Scout camp in the Netherlands from July 2 - 7. My Dutch scout troop, Strandvogels (translates to beachbirds), rode bikes to camp. We met near the village, Rockanje (pronounced Rokonya), with our bikes and rode for two hours to the village of Ouddorp (pronounced outdorp) where the camp was held. My mom's cousin, Karin, is one of the Strandvogels leaders and my great-aunt Frederike was a cook at the camp.
Thoreau Elementary School needs an experienced chess instructor for our after-school chess program. Our club has about 25 elementary students who love to listen, learn and play chess. Our after school program is organized through the Chess Mates Foundation of Seattle. The specifics on becoming an instructor are on their Web site at www.chessmates.org. We would love a retired person, a college student or anyone wanting to share their experience in chess. Please contact Regina Bock at 814-6292 if interested.
here are changes to the Lake Washington School District 2005-06 calendar. These are a result of a parent survey last April and discussion between the Lake Washington Education Association teachers and parents. The calendar was ratified by teachers as part of the contract settlement with the LWEA and then approved by the school board of directors.
We often hear startling reports about the dirty air we breathe in our cities. But air pollution can be an even bigger threat in a place where you'd least expect it - your own home.Older adults, who are more likely to die from lung conditions, are particularly vulnerable, according to the Healthy Aging Partnership, a coalition of more than 30 Puget Sound not-for-profit and public organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of older adults.
Sandy Middleton, Peter Kirk's great great granddaughter, gets interviewed by City of Kirkland cable television channel 21/75 during a Peter Kirk family reunion at the Peter Kirk Building on August 13.
Kirkland's historic reach is bridging across the Atlantic Ocean to England, from whence Sharon Gilbert Hodgson generously shares her story and memories. Readers with their own historic stories likewise are encouraged to share their memories. Please submit via e-mail to cath@bombar.com. See one story by clicking the Full Story link or the headline.
The next installments of the Moments in Kirkland History are now playing. The collection to date features: * Episode 1, Kirkland founders * Episode 2, Kirkland's waterfront parks * Episode 3, Baseball: Kirkland's champions * Episode 4, Kirkland's community life * Episode 5, Kirkland's art and artists* Stories are featured on both K-Gov and K-Life cable channels and may also be viewed online at www.kirkland100.com.