KIRKLAND .com
REPORTER
NEWSLINE: 425.822.9166
KINGCO TITLE | Juanita takes softball crown, Lake Washington advances to districts [14]
NATIONAL HONOR | Eastside Community Aid FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2012 Thrift Store wins national recognition [9]
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
FIRE | Juanita blaze brings eight engines, worried neighbors [7]
Little League teams pack Big Finn Hill Park for FanFest Former Seattle Mariner catcher Dave Valle throws out first pitch BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
F Former Seattle Mariner Dave Valle threw out the first pitch for FanFest Saturday at Big Finn Hill Park. MATT PHELPS, Kirkland Reporter
ormer Seattle Mariner Dave Valle spent 12 years behind home plate in Major League Baseball. But some of his fondest memories of the game come from his first home growing up in Bayside, N.Y. “My dad was really involved,” said Valle. “I was the fifth in the family and we always had teams at the house.”
Playing the game with family and friends at “Chicken Coop Stadium,” which his father built in the backyard to facilitate the game, was how he learned the basic skills for his career. Valle knows how important the game can be for families and communities and said that is why he decided to be a part of the Kirkland National Little Leagues’ (KNLL) annual FanFest on Saturday. “It brings me back to
when I was 11 years old,” said Valle, who is also part of the Mariners’ current broadcast team. “It makes me jealous. I wish I could turn the clock back and do it again.” FanFest played host to 47 KNLL, tee-ball and softball teams and more than 500 people at Big Finn Hill Park. Valle’s participation came courtesy of Frontier Communications’ program “Get Your League in Gear,” along with the Seattle
Council recommends zoning change for Potala Village land
afternoon
BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
Kirkland resident Hadley Burns (right) shares some Oak Hills Farms Hawaiian Shave Ice with her sister, Clara, on the opening day of the Juanita Friday Market at Juanita Beach Park on Friday afternoon. CARRIE WOOD, Kirkland Reporter
Juanita Friday Market shows eclectic mix of vendors and beautiful surroundings BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
Frogs, crepes and soap have very few things in common – until now. The Juanita Friday Market at Juanita Beach Park opened Friday with 22 vendors selling everything from living aquariums to fresh vegetables. But the big topic of discussion for market goers and vendors was what side of the street the market was set up on.
“I think it is going to be beach side of the park. But a lot better than last year this year the market moved as long as they back across “I think it will do a little more Juanita Drive marketing,” said increase the number to the delight of Tal Chang, who of people who come vendors. runs the Living “I think it down because of Aquariums busi- the setting. People will increase ness. can eat outside and the numper of The market enjoy the view.” people who come was temporarily down because of Maryann de Haas moved the past the setting,” said two years to the Maryann de Haas, north side of the who runs The park by Juanita Village for Trimmed Wick. “People the redevelopment of the can eat outside and enjoy
Mariners’ broadcast partner 710 ESPN. “Our charter is about community building,” said KNLL president Ken McCumber. “We have been doing this as long as I can remember.” But having Mariner players visit has been a recent thing, with Mariner great Edgar Martinez filling in last year. Mariners radio pre- and post-game host Matt Pitman helped to MC the event with Valle as the [ more FANFEST page 13 ]
the view.” The City of Kirkland’s Deputy Director of Parks and Community Services Michael Cogle worked to get the park redeveloped and attended the first day of the market. “I know how excited the vendors are to be over here and we hope that it will attract more people,” said Cogle. “It’ll grow. The market will probably double at the peak of grow[ more MARKET page 6 ]
Kirkland City Council members were deeply divided Tuesday evening. In a 4-3 vote, the council recommended to the Planning Commission that a hotly contested Business Neighborhood (BN) zoned property on Lake Street South be changed from a Residential Market designation to Neighborhood Center. The move is just a recommendation and does not mean that the property, which is slated for the controversial Potala Village development, will necessarily be changed to neighborhood center - but it is a move in that direction. The commission asked for a recommendation from council as they review the city’s Comprehensive Plan and the BN-zoned properties in the city. The other BN-
zoned property is already designated as a Neighborhood Center. The difference between the two designations is an up-zoning for the commercial use of the property. The Neighborhood Center designation would allow for commercial use of the space to be more broad, including something like a grocery store. A residential market designation would limit the commercial use of the space to a smaller retail store such as a drug store. Neither designation deals with the density of the residential part of the mixed-use project. Many in the audience, who have fought the Potala development’s high density, were not pleased with the decision as a larger commercial use could ultimately bring more traffic to the area. [ more COUNCIL page 6 ]