The theme for this year's Kirkland holiday celebration is Holidays on the Waterfront. For more information, see www.experiencekirkland.com or call the Kirkland Downtown Association at 893-8766.Decorating day, Nov. 4 From 10 a.m.-noon, downtown.Turkey Trot, Nov. 19The first holiday Kirkland tradition takes place on Nov. 19, 1 p.m. , when Hopelink holds its sixth-annual family fun event, the Turkey Trot.  Kids of all ages dress as turkeys and walk, run or pushing their strollers from Marina Park to Carillon Point. (www.hope-link.org)Nov. 25: photos with Santa, tree lighting* Noon: decorating contest judging. The Kirkland Downtown Association, in partnership with Reasons to Believe, is sponsoring a holiday decorating contest open to all retailers and businesses with store front windows downtown.There will be a prize for the most appropriate holiday theme. Winner of the best holiday window will receive dinner for two at the Slip, a sculpture of Santa from Reasons to Believe and six months exterior window washing. * Have your picture taken by Humanature Photography with Santa at Kahili  Coffee , 4-7 p.m. * See live reindeer in front of Reasons to Believe, 4-8 p.m.
A potential public health crisis that would severely impact the medically uninsured or underinsured in Kirkland has been temporarily averted. On Oct. 16 King County Executive Ron Sims announced in his proposed budget that there would be six months (through June 2007) of interim funding ($2.4 million) for two public health clinics. One clinic is in Northgate; the other on N.E. 145th Street in Bothell. On Nov. 20, the council's final budget will be announced and, presumably, will elucidate from where the money was attained.In addition to healthcare, the clinics serve other critical functions that protect the population as a whole, including communicable disease control, emergency preparedness and ensuring water and food are safe to consume. An article in last month's Courier said that the 2007 budget would likely require the closure of the centers. Just after press time, on Sept. 28, there was a press conference announcing the emergency funding. King County Council members Bob Ferguson and Julia Patterson have surfaced as the initiative's major propronents. "King County has stepped up to fund public health," Patterson said in a press release, "but one county can't do everything. Part of the solution must be to find a dedicated revenue stream for public health."Suzanne Gordon, a Northshore Public Health Center employee and member of the advocacy group, Communities for Public Health, wholeheartedly agrees. "This is wonderful news but our work has just begun in terms of attending council meetings, maintaining our connections with community partners and getting to Olympia when the state legislators will begin to meet in January," she says. "The stable funding that public health seeks needs to come from the state of Washington.
Thanks to a very persistent and pernicious rat population, Kirkland Hopelink has vacated its downtown site at 302 First St., where it has served low-income Kirkland clients since 1995, and moved to the former South Rose Hill Water District office building at 12013 N.E. 65th St. The site also includes a garage (where the food will be stored), a pump house and a 195-foot-wide water tower.The mounting rodent infestation problem at the downtown, city-owned building was likely due to its age, wood construction, proximity to the water and nearby new home and condominium construction. Following an increasing number of inspections and calls, an environmental consultant recommended that they vacate the premises. Other than the 4,200-square-foot water district office - which has been vacant since March - the other choice was to consolidate Hopelink's services with the south Bothell site, which some felt could add to transportation difficulties for Kirkland clients. (Approximately 25 percent of the clients use public transportation - about 62 people.) So the city - which funds essential human services such as Hopelink - invited the organization to apply for an emergency permit to use the city-owned property in the Silver Spurs neighborhood of Bridle Trails. As it stands at this writing, Hopelink's last day of operations downtown was Oct. 25 and planned to open its doors in Bridle Trails Oct. 30. The city's planning department is processing the permit and anticipates it will be complete by the end of November.
Janjira (Jenny) Smith, the 51-year-old ex-girlfriend of an Issaquah man, is facing murder and assault charges for allegedly poisoning him and his new Kirkland girlfriend on Oct. 7 with a bottle of Jägermeister that had been spiked with a deadly pesticide.The man, 56-year-old Roger Mitchell Lewis, died as a result, and his new girlfriend, 42-year-old Thanyarat (Nina) Segphrachanh, was initially blinded by the poisoned, high-octane herbal liqueur, according to a court document. It is unknown whether she has recovered. And Douglas Teague, 54, is facing charges of rendering criminal assistance for allegedly helping Smith flee the country. Teague is currently being held in the King County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond.Kirkland police are tight-lipped about the case, and the King County prosecutor's office had not filed charges as of the Courier's Oct. 25 press deadline. But charges were expected to be filed later that same week, according to King County Prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe. However, an initial statement of probable cause for Teague's arrest lays out a chilling and calculated sequence of events in the case.
Every September, EAS students and staff spend a week at Camp Hamilton. During this week students participate in outdoor recreational activities, challenge courses, environmental science classes and community-building activities. The nightly campfire is one of those events that is special to all students and staff. In the following story, Bonnie Gilbery, an EAS eighth-grader, captures the spirit of the campfire. - Eileen McMackin, EAS teacher"Flicker the Campfire"Up ahead and behind, people chattered. The cheerful procession came closer to the campfire circle. Around the circle, flashlights flickered, searching. Still talking, people noticed movement at the center of the amphitheater. An orange light flared and our conversations faded out as we focused on the spreading light. The light spread until it encompassed us all. We watched the flickering shafts of flame as an aura of happiness and energy soared through the crowd. Fire burning brightly, the waves of warmth spread through our numbers; we grew warm. Campfire had begun.
Among all the principals around the state of Washington, Mary Cronin has been named outstanding administrator of the year by the Washington Organization of Reading Development (WORD) for her work in supporting literacy at Ben Franklin Elementary and in her community.She received this award during the awards banquet at the fall WORD conference held in Spokane on Oct. 13. Cronin not only has been a WORD and Lake Washington International Reading Association (LWIRA) member for many years, but she continues to put literacy first by supplying teachers and students with materials to increase literacy at Franklin Elementary.Last year alone she encouraged the PTA to purchase more than $2,000 in books for the new guided reading room and has also used building money to support this amazing resource for teachers.
Jeremy Greenberg, comedian at large and self-described refugee from the technology world, comes to Juanita by way of the Silicon Valley and Brooklyn way before that. For our interview - which of course was riddled with deadpanned double entendres, one-liners and genuinely funny snippets of his shows - he was adorned in black, from his knit cap to his leather jacket, Led Zeppelin T-shirt and jeans. For the man who relocated here from California because he "liked the Columbia Athletic Club," comedy is a serious business.With a degree in economics from the University of California, Davis, Greenberg and his San Diego-born wife moved here in 1999 for a job change. He was hired to evangelize a product line and created videos that were sent to consultants as a sales and marketing tool. "It [the video] was so boring ... miserable ... a form of punishment," he says. "So I sent it out with a box of No-Doz. I got a letter from the company stating, 'We do not condone the use of drugs.'" He adds, "Nor do they condone sarcasm."
It's turkey month, and it's time that we all go out and buy the bird for that wonderful traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I bet you'll be as surprised as I was when I started to research the true history of this great holiday.Giving thanks for a bountiful harvest was already an ancient holiday by the time the Pilgrims landed in America in 1620. The Greeks, Hebrews and Romans all held festivals to celebrate abundant crops. When the first harvest was celebrated here in the fall of 1621, it was rather different than we imagine today. We know that venison was served, as well as cornbread and wild cranberries. There is no record, however, that turkey was served. Apple cider, milk, butter, cheese, pumpkin pie and bread were also not available. The following year the harvest was so poor no thanksgiving was celebrated.The next Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1777 and then forgotten as we fought for our freedom from England. In 1789 George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, but it soon faded out of favor, as well. Starting in 1827, Sarah Hale began a one-woman crusade to resurrect the holiday in her magazine Godey's Lady Book. President Lincoln decided to support her plea in 1863, the darkest year of the Civil War, and declared the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanks.So where did the turkey come in?
I have found the real axis of evil. It's actually a trifecta of terror: Kraft, Frito-Lay and that ultimate evil, General Mills, makers of Haagen-Daas.However, I want to warn you about just one of these denizens of doom and extra poundage. It's Kraft.At some point, I passed from my teens into what is termed "middle age." It happened rather quickly and without my consent. When you cross over like this, they say that your metabolism slows down to the speed of a slug. Therefore, I've been trying to reverse time by going back to the gym. But after swimming, soaking in the Jacuzzi and hitting the showers, I decided to go grocery shopping.This is where I encountered Satan in the dairy case.Do not be fooled. Evil can and does come in cute packaging, with mouthwatering pictures advertising its wares.Did you know that Kraft now sells a tub of cheesecake filling? Ready to eat - in a tub. When I reached the checkout counter, the cashier picked up the tub of ready-to-eat cheesecake filling in order to scan it. (Yes, I bought some; I'm only human.) She looked at it, held it up high to get a better look at it and then was overcome with emotion."Hey!" she yelled to the cashier to her right. "Look at this!"
Several weeks have passed since the mid-October Seattle School Board meeting imploded from a lack of leadership and a surfeit of rudeness on the part of some of those in attendance. It's time for school administrators and parents to cast critical eyes on the wreckage. The school board has been called dysfunctional, and when it comes to the way they handle public meetings, that appears to be the case. Where was the discipline on Oct. 18? The meeting's three-hour time slot nearly doubled as the board members allowed impassioned speakers to exceed their time allotments and sat passively as rude, disruptive members of the audience interrupted the proceedings for the detriment of everyone involved. The mechanism for public input was disrespected and derailed.The board's job is to inform the audience of the ground rules and the consequences of breaking them, and to enforce them if they are broken. While it may take beefed-up security to accomplish, it's the same old-fashioned and positive structure of communication parents should use with their children - it's elementary. On a deeper level, the meeting meltdown may have been unavoidable, for community frustration toward the district's funding crisis and, more recently, the proposed school closures has been building for years without adequate means of release. Resentments and suspicions build when people in power seem both unreachable and unresponsive.
Regarding last week's letter about dogs in public places, I'm sure you're as tired of printing this argument a I am of reading about it. It's probably impossible to argue with someone who is prepared to misrepresent facts, but I'll give it a try.Regarding dogs in Europe, I can't speak for Germany. But in Holland and England, I absolutely did not experience what the writer is asserting. Frankly, in the countryside, I can say I found quite the opposite. Probably, this is an inarguable point. Experiences vary from city to city. However, to contend that these cities are "cleaner," or the people are of superior character, or that scoop laws have a direct relationship to health care is far more questionable. Let's leave that particular canard. Dog poop, however, is arguable. The vast majority of dogs are house trained and not prone to accidents indoors. The idea of having to 'step in poop' at a cafe is misleading at best and disingenuous inflammation at worst. In terms of 'scoop laws' I would suggest someone who is so overtly hostile to dogs would invite the kind of 'let it lie' attitude some dog owners develop toward neighbors who chose make dogs a negative issue from the moment they lay eyes on one. It isn't nice, and it isn't right, but it is understandable.
On the tailwinds of a particularly brutal campaign season, the last thing I wanted to do is write about a political figure. But Barack Obama's visit to Seattle two weeks ago, one of many stops on a national book tour, inspired me. He brought a sincerity, earnestness and grace back into the political discourse that the American public is yearning for.I'll admit I'd grown cynical and somewhat disaffected by the political process the last two years. In 2004, participation in the Washington state caucuses led to my selection as a delegate for Howard Dean in my precinct and congressional district. Political pundits and then the voters seized on the "The Dean Scream" as an indicator he was unfit for office. That videotape led to his losses in the early primaries, a devastating outcome for a man willing to challenge the elite political establishment of entrenched Democratic and Republican officeholders.I saw Obama speak at Benaroya Hall. Many in the crowd stood in line several hours outside the auditorium in order to get the best seats. We arrived an hour before the program and waited along with the other excited guests. You'd think we were attending a rock concert. The span of ages, skin colors and kinds of people revealed how the senator from Illinois is able to reach across the great divide and unite diverse peoples.When he walked across the stage after his introduction, he graciously acknowledged The Elliot Bay Book Co., a sponsor of his visit, and the importance of small, independent bookstores in the life of our nation. He also revealed a little known fact: His Kansas-born mother spent her teenage years attending Mercer Island High School. With a wink and a nod, he thanked the school for ensuring her graduation, which led to laughter in the crowd.
For many, the block defines the social feel of Pike-Pine. With the Manray Video Bar, the Cha Cha Lounge, Kincora Pub and the Bus Stop, not to mention Bimbo's Bitchin' Burrito Kitchen, the 500 block of East Pine Street serves as a nightlife nexus in a neighborhood well known for its social scene.That scene seems destined for change. While the wrecking ball won't swing in the immediate future, the block's days as a collection of mostly single-story, independent businesses are numbered. A large, mixed-use development is planned for the block, one similar in concept to numerous other developments sprouting up in Pike-Pine and along Broadway. In this case, the developers are planning 96-residential units on top of 6,000 square-feet of commercial or retail space. Below-grade parking for 120 cars is also planned.Last week, a crowd of more than 30 attended an Early Design Guidance meeting and heard some early details about the project. Architect Peter Graves, representing Weber+Thompson architects, gave a presentation outlining the basic ideas being considered. No firm plans were presented, but an overall concept of the design was put forward. The architect said the project will fit in with the overall feel of the neighborhood."This is an active, pedestrian neighborhood, but also a neighborhood in transition," said Graves.Graves referenced the block's topography and the challenges it would present. But, he said, an 11-foot height difference between the site's western border on Summit Avenue and its eastern border of Belmont Avenue enables the project to be broken up visually. The result, he said, will be a project that will not have the appearance of a uniform, monolithic block. "We have tried to take advantage of the topographic change. There is an opportunity here to step the retail spaces, also a chance to create a small, southwest facing plaza," he said. The retail spaces will front East Pine Street to a depth of roughly 30 feet. "We are trying to create a pedestrian realm, and the topography helps break the building into three pieces, which blends well with the neighborhood."
Despite the results of its recent annual food drive and the continued support of local churches, a call for help from the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle and King County to the people of Seattle and King County has gone largely unanswered.The nationally recognized and award-winning program that has helped people in crisis over the last 30 years is reluctantly turning people away. The Emergency Feeding Program, www.emergencyfeeding.org, needs about $60,000 in order to meet current demands for its services. Both this year's and next year's shortfall stems from cuts to many of the funding sources that EFP depends on to carry out its mission, such as federal FEMA funding, Washington State Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) funds, grants from King County cities, and the recent elimination of the Seattle Employees Food Fund. These, along with the increased cost of gasoline and the slump in donations to non-profits that is traditional nearly every summer, have left EFP reeling.
If you are looking for a great afternoon of Vietnamese food, I have a couple suggestions that just might whet your appetite. With so many great offerings in the Valley, you just can't go wrong. I've highlighted a few of my favorites and hope that you'll give them a try.Tony's Bakery & Deli has a great Pork Vietnamese Sandwich for $2. But I'll warn you to take off the jalapeno peppers if you aren't looking for a kick to your sandwich. Tony's is located in the Viet Wah Shopping Center at 6020 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South. While you pick up your sandwich, you can get a great mango or coconut soda or just get a basic Pepsi - your choice. Tony's is owned by Hugh Tran, a local entrepreneur, and has been in operation in the Valley for more than four years. If you don't like pork but you still want a great sandwich you might try a new restaurant called Rainier Beach Café. If you go, check out their chicken barbecue sandwich. The new café is located at 8738 Rainier Avenue South.