August 22, 2024 - This Week in Kirkland - Text Version

Published on August 23, 2024

This Week: Get Ready for City Hall for All | KTUB Opening | Back to School Safety | Leaf Blowers

City of Kirkland Washington sent this bulletin at 08/22/2024 04:51 PM PDT 

August 22, 2024


The Podcast

The Kirkland Teen Union Building is reopening in a week and half! Hear all about what’s in store straight from the KTUB dynamic duo, Theresa and Drew!

City Council on August Break

The next regular meeting of the Kirkland City Council is on September 3, 2024. More information about the meeting will be included in an upcoming edition of ‘This Week in Kirkland’ and on the City Council webpage.

Community Conversations

Do you want to make a difference in the community? Have you been looking for a way to dive deeper and make a bigger splash? Sign up for our 2024 Kirkland Initiative leadership program today. This 8-week program is an amazing opportunity to:

  • Network with neighbors, City officials, and staff 
  • Learn Kirkland’s civic engagement process and policies 
  • Gain leadership skills that will last a lifetime 

Interested to learn more? Info and applications now available at www.kirklandwa.gov/kirklandinitiative.


How can I contact the City with questions, requests, or suggestions? 

You can always contact City staff through the Our Kirkland service portal, available on the web and mobile app. Submitting your comments through Our Kirkland ensures the right staff receives the information and can follow up with you.  

For more opportunities to provide feedback to the City, please visit our Community Conversations page.

City Hall for All is Around the Corner!

Save the Date for City Hall for All & Sustainability Showcase!

Join us for our annual City Hall for All event on Saturday, September 14 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The event will feature:

  •  A sustainability showcase to highlight and celebrate sustainable practices featuring EV transportation, community reuse, eco-themed games and crafts, and more
  • Interactive booths with City staff sharing program information from various Departments, including partner CBOs
  • A stage area with cultural performances and local entertainment hosted by the This Week in Kirkland Podcast
  • Meet and greets with City Councilmembers through a photo booth and lemonade stand
  • Open City services – get a pet license, pay a utility bill, sign up for a recreation class, or schedule a passport appointment
  • Eastside Made Pop-up Market featuring 30+ Kirkland and Eastside businesses
  • Truck-a-Palooza! A much-loved event featuring a variety of City trucks and vehicles

Learn more on our website.


City Hall for All Volunteers Needed!

We’re looking for:

  • Breakroom Assistant
  • Staff and Vendor Parking Assistant
  • Bike Valet
  • Setup and Breakdown
  • and more!

We have the following shifts available:

  • 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. (Set Up)
  • 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • 12:30 - 4 p.m.
  • 3 - 5 p.m. (Clean Up)

Flexible shifts are available as well, if the shift times above don't quite work for your schedule.

Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or you’re new to Kirkland, we'd love your help! Please email the Volunteer Coordinator Mikayla at mbinns@kirklandwa.gov or give her a call at 425-587-3011 for more information or to sign up.

Kirkland Teen Union Building Re-Opens September 3

Calling all Kirkland teens! The City of Kirkland is excited to announce the re-opening of the Kirkland Teen Union Building (KTUB). Starting on Tuesday, September 3, KTUB will resume its role as a drop-in teen center, offering a wide range of free activities, programs, and services for middle school and high school students.

To celebrate the re-opening, the City will host a grand-reopening party on Wednesday, September 18, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. We invite the community to join us for this special event, which will feature live music, refreshments, and a showcase of the programs and services KTUB will offer.


And the winner is...

We're so excited to announce the winning KTUB icon! 

In early July, the City held a design contest for the new icon for KTUB. A special thanks to everyone who submitted their designs. The submissions were amazing, and it was a close competition. 

Need a New Leaf Blower? Try Electric

The City of Kirkland is hosting a trade-in event to help you dispose of your gas-powered leaf blowers in exchange for a new electric blower. Participants will receive a voucher valued at $100 – redeemable at select local stores to be used toward the purchase of a new electric leaf blower. Bring your gas-powered blower (emptied of gas) to be recycled and get your voucher! 

Why make the switch? 

  • Keep unhealthy noxious fumes out of the community 
  • Reduce environmental impacts of gas emissions 

Where: The North Kirkland Community Center north parking lot (12421 103rd Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034) 

When: September 28, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

Learn more about the Electric Leaf Blower Initiative and the trade-in event here! 

Get Ready for Back to School Safety

The 2024 - 25 school year is upon us. That means parents and buses will be dropping kids off and more kids will be walking or rolling to school. For drivers, that means slowing down, paying attention, and having patience – especially before and after school.

Here are some safety tips for sharing the road: 

  • When dropping off, follow your school’s procedures and don't double park - it blocks visibility for other kids and vehicles
  • Don't block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light - that forces kids to go around you and could put them in the path of moving traffic
  • In a school zone when flashers are blinking, stop and yield to kids crossing the street
  • Always stop for a crossing guard holding up a stop sign 

Reminder about sharing the road with school buses: 

  • It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children on an undivided road.
  • Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you're on an undivided road – if it’s stopped to load or unload kids
  • If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop on undivided roads
  • The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus
  • If you're driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing

Speed Limit: 20 MPH

As a reminder, Safety Cameras will resume starting September 3, 2024 until June 18, 2025 for the 2024-25 school year.

These cameras will help increase the safety for pedestrians and drivers at seven elementary and middle schools. Safety Cameras will operate two times per day: 30 minutes before/after the start of school and 30 minutes before/after the end of school.

Please note that the school zones along 132nd Ave NE on 84th Ave NE will operate for more than an hour due to multiple schools with different start and end times.

For more information, visit our webpage

Ride Share at Transit Fare

Try out the Community Van program! Plan a trip with friends or family, request a trip, and enjoy the day.

There are 6-passenger and 12-passenger vans in the Kirkland-Kenmore Community Van fleet to meet your group transportation needs. With as few as three people in your group, you are eligible to use the vehicles to travel as far as Bellingham, Olympia, and Leavenworth. Use the vans for a full day if you need to, with adult passengers paying only $2.75 per trip and people ages 18 and under riding free. Book the vans in advance.

For more info visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/communityvan

Learn CPR this September

If you had the chance to save someone’s life using CPR, would you know how? If not, this is your chance to learn!

Each month, the Medic One Foundation offers a free CPR training class at Fire Station 22. Sign-ups for our September 19 class are now open. As a reminder, CPR Classes take a break for the month of October and pick up again in November.

Register online with the Medic One Foundation.

Learn more about our CPR Classes on our webpage.

License for a Free Ride Home

You and your pet are inseparable. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get separated. Make sure your pet can make it back home safely and license your pet.

Traffic Alerts

Northeast 132nd Street

Northeast 132nd Street's contractor will conduct night work to overlay the street from 100th Avenue Northeast to 112th Avenue Northeast. The traffic control will begin setup at 8 p.m. and be removed by 6 a.m. Night work is expected to begin Monday, August 26 and be complete by Friday, September 6. The road will be controlled by flaggers with Uniformed Police Officers controlling the intersections.

Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Construction-Projects/Overlay

124th Avenue Northeast

Drivers traveling southbound on 124th Avenue Northeast are prohibited from turning left onto NE 120th Street. Kirkland’s contractor is widening 124th Avenue Northeast to five lanes and enhancing pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Businesses remain open during construction.

Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Construction-Projects/124th-Avenue-Northeast-Improvements 

Goat Hill

Goat Hill residents should expect daytime road closures this week on Northeast 116th Place and nighttime road closures on Northeast 117th Place.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/goathill

Juanita Drive

Juanita Drive will be reduced to one lane periodically this week between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Northeast 124th Street to Northeast 128th Street with flaggers controlling the flow of traffic.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/juanitadrivecorridor]www.kirklandwa.gov/juanitadrivecorridor

Additionally, a separate stormwater construction project will reduce Juanita drive to one lane at 86th Avenue Northeast. Kirkland's contractor is repairing a failing stormwater pipe at this location. Work is expected through October.

Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Construction-Projects/NE-Juanita-Dr-and-86th-Ave-NE-Storm-Improvements-Project

100th Avenue Northeast

OMA Construction is alternating traffic at various locations between Northeast 137th and 145th streets. Access to Northeast 140th Place from 100th Avenue Northeast expected to be closed until August 23rd. The legal speed limit through the construction zone is 25 miles per hour.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/100thavedesign

Eighth Avenue West and Fifth Street West

Construction is occurring on 8th Avenue West between Market Street and 3rd Street. Excavation is also occurring at the alley of 5th Street West between 8th and 10th Avenues West. Flaggers are located at the intersections to allow for emergency vehicles.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/eighthavenuewestupgrade

Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street

Lake Street’s intersection with Kirkland Avenue is now open, and minor impacts to traffic flow are expected for delivery of materials throughout the remainder of construction. Pedestrian access changes, so please follow the pedestrian detour routes. Businesses remain open during construction.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/lakestreetpedscramble

Upcoming Events

See Spot Splash

Date: Saturday, September 7, 2024

Time: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (5 different sessions each starting at the top of the hour, 45 minutes each session)

Location: Peter Kirk Pool - 340 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland

Cost: $10 per dog. Pre-registration is highly recommended or pay upon entering.

Join us for our 4th annual See Spot Splash event!

Bring your dog to splash and play at the Peter Kirk Pool, then head over to nearby Lee Johnson Field for some off-leash fun! Sponsored by Emerald City Orthodontics and brought to you by the City of Kirkland!

This event will include vendor booths, music, and treats! Participating dogs must be well behaved, show proof of vaccination, and be on a leash to enter. We hope you can join us!

Register online now at bit.ly/4d43n29, call 425-5787-3336, or pay in person at the pool. For event details, visit kirklandwa.gov/CommunityBuildingEvents. 


Blood Drive 

Date: Wednesday, August 28 & Thursday, August 29 

Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Location: City Hall, 123 5th Ave 

Donate and enter for a chance to win $3,000!

Join us in making sure that our community has the blood inventory needed to save lives, by booking your summer donation at the City of Kirkland Blood Drive. Join us in the Peter Kirk Room at City Hall, an hour of your time is all that is needed to save the life of another person. Be sure that you have photo ID when you arrive to check in for your appointment.

Make an appointment online with BloodWorks.


Kirkland Health and Wellness Fair

Date: Saturday, September 28 

Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Location: Juanita High School, 10601 NE 132nd St

Save the date!

Join the 4th annual Health and Wellness Fair for FREE Health Screenings, Flu shots, and vaccination. Also, local community services information, resources, support, food, music, raffles, giveaways, and so much more!

For information about this event, volunteering, and exhibitor opportunities, please contact: support@promotoresnetwork.org 


For more events from the City, visit our Community Events page. For up to date happenings around Kirkland, visit ExploreKirkland.com/Events.  

Want a monthly Events Guide delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our Events Newsletter.  


Video Spotlight

Watch to learn more about the Kirkland Initiative, and sign up for this year's class!