Has anyone else been wondering what's been going on at David Brink park and its waterfront construction? This shoreline renovation is slated to be done in January of 2022 with the goal of increasing accessibility and making improvements to the pier and shoreline that the fish and Mother Earth will appreciate. The project overview and timeline are here. 

Kirkland Parks is trying to rally our citizens to participate in a survey so they can take into account your recreation wishes for the community.  This is an opportunity to give your feedback.  The survey says it takes "10 minutes" but I am calling BS on the time estimate. But....that shouldn't matter if this is something you care about, good feedback takes a little thought and time.  The survey is here and available in multiple languages until it closes on Nov 11th. There are some fun ideas on there!

A Pop-Up dog park and sprinkler park program are coming to Kirkland! Aren't we fancy..

Pop-up Off-leash Dog Park Locations (fully fenced w/large and small play areas):

• June - Juanita Beach Park (9703 NE Juanita Dr) located on the north side of the park, adjacent to the ballfields. Parking is available in the gravel lot nearby.
• July - Heritage Park (111 Waverly Way) located on the north side of the park, near the tennis courts. Parking is available in the gravel lot nearby.
• August- Snyder’s Corner Park (13267 Old Redmond Rd)·located at the corner of Old Redmond Rd and 132nd Ave NE near the Bridle Trails Shopping Center. Snyder’s Corner Park is undeveloped, and a temporary small parking area will be accessible off Old Redmond Rd.

For additional information please check out the website at Pop-up Off-leash Dog Parks.

Pop-up Sprinkler Park Locations and Details (staffed by lifeguards):

• Thursdays, July 8 – August 12 at Lee Johnson Field (202 3rd St) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturdays, July 10-31 at North Kirkland Community Center (12421 103 Ave NE) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturdays, August 7-14 at Everest Park - Field 1 (500 8 St. S) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

These temporary programs and are planned to run through August 2021. You can share your feedback at www.kirklandwa.gov/OurKirkland.

  <--Signs and flags at Juanita Beach Park, it's a mine field out there!

270 to be exact, for this month so far, and that's a lot of poop!  I'm going to try really hard to not insert a bunch of 'crappy' jokes throughout this post but I may not be able to help myself. 

There are 20,000 dogs in Kirkland.  That equals approx 6,000 pounds of poop a day, which is almost considered a $#!*t ton. And for the record, dog poop is not fertilizer, it can actually contaminate our waters and spread disease between dogs (E.coli, roundworms, parvovirus).  And then how sad must you  be if you're the parent of the toddler that crawls through a giant pile.  Or the adult that walks through it and then gets it on your car floormat for a long-lasting unintended air freshener. Plus it just looks bad all over our public places.

You may have noticed little yellow flags at Juanita Beach Park (on both the shore side and the north side) and Hazen Hills Park recently- indicating where un-scooped dog droppings have been left.  The City of Kirkland was awarded a grant by the King Conservation District that funds an educational campaign that includes research and monitoring to help protect our water quality.  And some lucky soul at the city gets to mark your pet's mess every Monday and take water samples to the lab for testing.  Labs will be back and analysis will happen toward the end of the year. By the way, this season marks the lowest number of spawning sockeye ever, which can be directly impacted by water quality issues in Lake Washington.

<--Hween is in 2 weeks people

So--- SCOOPY YOUR PET'S POOPY-- that's the message. There are plenty of new pet waste stations in our parks and the city is stocked with craploads of bags.  Already know this? Or are you that guy on your phone pretending not to notice when Rufus is dropping a deuce? Let's keep Kirkland clean.

If you think you're a super-scooper, then accept the challenge--  Take the pledge and receive a free poop scoop toolkit (dreams DO come true!).

Happy scooping!

Next time you are on the Cross Kirkland Corridor, keep your eyes peeled for the image of this little red kite along your way.  With support from Google and the City, the Kirkland Parks Foundation has created an interactive educational experience for anyone traveling along the corridor with a smart phone.  If you left your phone at home and are taking deep breaths and looking up at the sky and trees, then that's pretty awesome.  But let's face it, we live in a connected world. 

As people walk, bike or run the trail, information highlighting points of interest about the CKC Master Plan is available via the “New&Now” app. The app uses geo-fencing to deliver information to users and is available for iOS and Android. The signs along the corridor show where these “beacons” are located - they stretch along the trail from 108th Ave NE to 132nd Ave NE .

This is the first phase of the beacons.  The Kirkland Parks Foundation is looking for input from the community and partners to shape the next phase. The possibilities are endless, from historical information, or facts about local wildlife (including bird calls!), or setting up STEM-related games for kids, or working with a trainer to set up a series of exercise stations along the pathway.  What do you want to see?  Help shape the direction of the project by giving your feedback.

"We want the section of the CKC near Google to be a great place for neighbors and the community at large”, said Darcy Nothnagle, Western Region Head of External Affairs for Google. "This project with the Kirkland Parks Foundation has the potential to give our neighbors new ways to explore this vibrant corridor".

Downtown Kirkland Holiday Wine Walk- I know, I had you at 'wine' didn't I?  21+ only, THIS Fri Nov 18th 6-9pm, check in at the Heathman. Advance tickets $25, at door $30 and includes 14 wine tasting tix and you'll have fun hopping from merchant to merchant for your tastings.

Kirkland Turkey Trot- Hopelink's 16th Annual 5K Family fun run and walk.  Sunday Nov 20th, 10am at Marina Park. Register here.

Heathman holidays- afternoon tea, and special dinners for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve can be found here.  Call 425-284-5900 for reservations.

Thanks to "A" at Simplicity Decor for throwing a super fun holiday shopping party to get us all in the spirit. Yes, Christmas is around the corner.  For reals. Enjoy the wonder.

Holiday volunteering in downtown Kirkland- check out the sign up's here so you can jump in and help on Nov 17th, 19th or 26th.  Tis the season for lending hand.

Carillon Point- 12/15-31 is the Gingerbread Display in the Woodmark Lobby.  And don't forget the Argosy Christmas Ships 12/18-23 which is always a favorite tradition.

Santa's Mailbox is coming to Kirkland! The Kirkland Parks Foundation has secured funding for our very first mailbox that sends St. Nick's letters directly to the North Pole.  And, yes, your letters will be answered!  hohoho.  Thank you KPD and merry donors. The mailbox will be found in front of the downtown Bank of America right after Thanksgiving until Dec 24th. 

    


I love that you are all emailing me today saying "Cactus is Open! Cactus is Open!"  You guys are the best.  It's like you know how thirsty I am, and it's good to feel your excitement too.  The  motif is feeling kind of traditional Spanish decor from what I spied yesterday while talking to the nice guy mopping the floors (he was still saying 'maybe a week').   They appeared to be having a rah-rah staff meeting but I couldn't hear what they were saying b/c my eyes were fixated on the wall of tequila bottles. Anyway, it's happening. Time to go check it out and rejoice- add your comments here after your visit!

In case you wanted to step outside and into the danger zone with your drink, I suggest you don't.  Kirkland was kind enough to remind us of our stumbling boundaries with these beautiful new appetizer plate-sized warning medallions embossed in the brick pavement.  

Also very real and open again just in time for summer... Waverly Beach Park!  Thanks Kirkland Parks Foundation and all of the donors who helped make this happen.

       <-  13 year old can't help but jump in=good play area

Celebrate Kirkland! 4^th announces $1000 and $500 cash prizes for the best parade entries!

Here's a fun opportunity to increase participation and excitement surrounding the Lee Johnson Auto Family’s annual 4^th of July Parade with the theme “It’s a Small World”.

Celebrate Kirkland, in partnership with the Kirkland Downtown Association, is including $1000 first place cash prize for the best parade entry in the annual Lee Johnson Auto Family 4^th of July Parade. Included in the contest is a $500 cash prize for the second favorite entry and all entries will be competing to receive high scores from an independent panel of judges. How's that for ya? God Bless America.  Sign up on the Celebrate Kirkland website.

photo: KPF
Help fund new sand at Houghton and Marina Beach. Fresh sand for the beginning of summer!

The Kirkland Parks Foundation had so much fun providing fresh sand for the beach at Marina Park last summer that they are doing it again—and they are including Houghton Beach this time around! From now until June 30th, you can help support this project to provide new sand just in time the start of summer.

Who doesn’t love playing in the sand? Sand castles! Sand angels! Wiggling bare toes in warm sand! Our waterfront parks are a huge attraction for kids but do not naturally have very fine sand.

Let’s bring in some fresh sand to play with.  Each beach needs two truckloads of sand and each truckload costs $500, for a total of $1000 per beach. It's super easy to donate here.

 

Congrats to Friends of FSH Research!

 

Kirkland non-profit, ​Friends of FSH Research, which was​ founded in 2004, raises funds to stimulate research interest in FSHD​. On Monday the City of Seattle will present a proclamation noting June 20th as an International Day of FSHD Awareness.  FSHD is the most popular form of muscular dystrophy in the adult population. There is no cure for this progressively disabling condition. Over the past 12 years this volunteer-run organization has provided over $3 million dollars to FSH related projects.  They spearheaded the first FSH project to be conducted in Seattle in 2005 and have provided $1 million in funding to the Hutch and $1 million to the ​University of Washington.​ Their 13th annual auction will be on January 21st at the  Bellevue Hyatt. 

 (photo credit: Kirkland Parks Foundation)

Waverly Beach Park is moving right along with the construction of the new picnic shelter and installation of a new irrigation system, dock material and landscaping. Thanks to the Kirkland Parks Foundation and many donor citizens for making this project happen!  Completion is still slated for mid-June, just in time for summer and viewing those "It's a Small World"  4th of July fireworks. 

Here are two current projects for the Kirkland Parks Foundation that you might like to rally for..

Pet-friendly Water Fountain
Tell your dog about this one, and maybe you can spot Fluffy a few bucks to help with this project on Lake Washington Blvd.  The KPF has partnered with Juanita Bay Veterinary Hospital to raise funds to install a new pet-friendly drinking fountain on the boulevard.  That's right- it's not just about you, PEOPLE, pets get thirsty too. This new doggie fountain will have a fully-draining bowl and provide easy access to clean, safe water for your  pet.  The city will do all of the prep and installation, the KPF just needs to raise $3400 to make it happen.  Donations  over $500 or more will be recognized on a plaque.   Consult with your furry best friend and donate here if he likes the idea.

McAuliffe Park Learning Garden 

There is a generous donor out there that has challenged us to raise $612 , which they will match 3:1 (that's $2450 total!).  The deadline is December 7th. This funding goes towards completing this project that will help support sustainable food production and education for adults and children in our community.  Details on the project and the 'donate' button are here.

This city loves to party.  Why wouldn't we?  It's gorgeous weather and our parks are waterfront and our people are FUN! So, let's meet up for some summertime celebrating----

Kirkland Uncorked is THIS weekend July 17-19 in Marina Park.  There's a 21+ Tasting Garden ($25 advance, $30/door) and an all-ages Street Fair (free).  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you might want to walk, bus, bike, scooter, or teleport because parking cannot be fun on those days.  But there is some parking for those lucky 47 of you- tips on that and other details Uncorked can be found here.  Be ready for lots of wine and culinary delights and some celebrity chefs.

The hours for each of the days is here:

Kirkland Uncorked Tasting Garden Hours*:
Friday, July 17: 5pm-10pm
Saturday, July 18: 12pm-10pm
Sunday, July 19: 12pm-6pm

*Must be 21+ with valid ID

Kirkland Uncorked All-Ages Street Fair Hours:
Friday, July 17: 2pm-8pm
Saturday, July 18: 11am-8pm
Sunday, July 19: 11am-6pm

You can buy your tickets in advance online, at Fred Meyer or at The Grape Choice. 

If you look into your crystal ball you will also notice that you'll be attending Kirkland Summerfest of art, music, food and family fun on August 7th and 8th.   Planning and fundraising to pull off this effort is swiftly underway. 

Speaking of fundraising- congrats to the Kirkland Parks Foundation for achieving their fundraising goal for the Waverly Beach Park Picnic Shelter.  That project will start this fall with a targeted completion by summer of 2016.  Yay!  MORE waterfront park parties!  If you have ideas for how you think YOUR favorite Kirkland Park can be improved, the Kirkland Parks Foundation is ready to listen to your ideas.