Kirkland .com
Reporter
NEWSLINE: 425.822.9166
barzan | Documentary investigates controversial deportation of Kirkland man accused of terrorism [2]
On the go?
GET OUR FREE MOBILE APP Scan this code and start receiving local news on your mobile device today!
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2012
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Hundreds gather to catch a glimpse of President Obama By Carrie Wood cwood@kirklandreporter.com
Up Close
undreds of Kirkland residents cheered as President Barack Obama touched down at the former Seahawks practice field at Northwest University on Feb. 17 on his helicopter Marine One. Many in the crowd, which lined N.E. 53rd St. and 112th Ave. N.E. near the campus, had waited for over
two hours for the president, who was en route from an event at Everett’s Paine Field before heading to two private fund raisers in Bellevue and Medina. “I think he’s going to go blazing by us,” said Seattle
H
A local high school student writes about seeing the president in Everett. See page 4.
resident Barbara Buck, who heard about the event from a neighbor who lives in the area. “How do I tell Obama I’m a big fan?” Kirkland resident Kathy Cannon was driving home when she saw a crowd of people gathered at the corner of her street. “I was actually scared at first because I saw the police and so many people,” said Cannon, who joined the crowd after she found
out they were waiting for Obama’s arrival. “I read about it in the paper, but I didn’t know he’d be in Kirkland.” But others were not so surprised. [ more obama page 3 ]
Kirkland father leads vigil for missing son
Kirkland resident Solomon Metalwala stands amidst family, friends and volunteers Feb. 17 for a candle-light vigil and balloon release for his missing son, Sky Metalwala, in downtown Bellevue. Matt Phelps, Kirkland Reporter
More than 60 people participate in gathering for missing Sky Metalwala By Matt Phelps mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
Balloons dotted the Bellevue skyline Saturday night during an event to bring awareness and hope to the case of a missing 3-year-old boy. More than 60 people endured the wind and rain to attend the candle-light vigil and balloon release for Sky Metalwala. “Do you see how cold it is?” asked Solomon Metalwala, Sky’s father.
“I’m frozen. These people, especially Search and Seek, are amazing.” The organization Search and Seek helped Metalwala, along with his attorney Clay Terry, to put together the event and keep attention on the missing-person case. “I am overwhelmed,” said Solomon. “It is amazing how generous people are in the concern they have showed for Sky.” The event began with everyone taking a bundle [ more sky page 3 ]
Jennifer Mau of Search and Seek, lights Lora Peterson, of Kirkland, and Jim Donalson’s candles during a gathering in the Downtown Bellevue Park Feb. 17 for missing Sky Metalwala. Matt Phelps, Kirkland Reporter
Hundreds of Kirkland residents gathered Feb. 17 to catch a glimpse of President Barack Obama. The president flew in to Kirkland on Marine One from the Everett Boeing plant and then his motorcade took him to fund raisers in Bellevue and Medina. Matt Phelps, Kirkland Reporter
Cranes in Juanita Two construction projects will add nearly 300 residential units to neighborhood By Matt Phelps mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
Construction in Juanita is beginning to ramp up again as two projects, which were first proposed during the middle of the last decade, are taking shape. The Juanita Village 5 and the Weidner apartment building will add nearly 300 new residential dwellings to the Juanita Village area of Kirkland. The two sites will also contain the only two cranes in Kirkland in just a few weeks. “The Juanita Village construction is the final piece left in the development of the Juanita Village Master Plan,” said City of Kirkland senior planner Angela Ruggeri. “It will contain a mix of commercial and residential uses similar to the other development in Juanita Village to the north and east of this piece.” Both are mixed use and will contain underground parking. The Weidner building will be located on 98th Ave. N.E., across the street from the Wells Fargo Bank. “I can actually see it from my office,” said the project’s architect Mike Ivancic. There is another Weidner building in the Juanita neighborhood of Kirkland next to Michaels. “We currently have not leased any of the mixed-use space yet,” said Ivancic.
The three-story buildings will house over 4,000 square feet of retail and 102 apartment rental units from one to two bedrooms and three commercial spaces on the ground floor. It will also have two floors of underground parking. “We have limited parking so we can’t put in doctors offices or a Starbucks,” said Ivancic, of the project that was approved by the City of Kirkland Design Review Board in 2006. The project is set to be two buildings. “We will be done with the south (building) in early summer and then the other one will follow,” said Ivancic. “We bought the project because it was permit-ready.” Weidner owns property in five separate states. MM Properties of Houston, which purchased the Juanita Village 5 project from Avalon Bay, began construction a few weeks ago. The site is located between Spuds and Starbucks and across the street from Juanita Beach Park, inside Juanita Village. The project will complete the Juanita Village complex that began in 2000. The mixed-use project is slated to have approximately 189 residential dwellings, according to city officials. The Reporter attempted to [ more juanita page 3 ]