Kirkland Reporter, June 08, 2012

Page 1

KIRKLAND .com

REPORTER

NEWSLINE: 425.822.9166

MORTGAGE FRAUD | Kirkland woman, three others arrested on 21 counts of mortgage fraud [6]

Fresh roast | Caffe Rococo has the vibe and FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 2012 pulse of Kirkland [9]

A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING

MLB draft | Kangs Theo Alexander picked by Dodgers in MLB draft [8]

Council resolves lake noise issue, Fourth fireworks gets boost Ordinance curtails noise beyond 300 feet for lake recreation BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com

Lake Washington will be a little quieter this summer after the Kirkland City Council approved a new noise ordinance for the lake on Tuesday.

The noise ordinance is an extension of the city’s ordinance that is used on land. It is the same type of aquatic noise enforcement that is used on Bonnie Lake, according to Oscar Rey, Kirkland assistant city attorney.

“The ordinance simply says water craft should be treated the same way as motor vehicles, as people in public places,” said Rey. But the council decided to make a change during the meeting. The city’s noise [ more NOISE page 3 ]

Fairfax, Lee Johnson step up for Fourth of July fireworks BY MATT PHELPS

mphelps@kirklandreporter.com

Many people were concerned that the annual Fourth of July fireworks display would go silent this year. But a surprise announcement by Fairfax

Hospital and a huge contribution by a local car dealer may have saved the event. The Fourth of July fireworks celebration has seen some big donations this year. The largest comes from Lee Johnson Chevro-

Relief in sight for NE 116th Street commuters? BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com

Seventeen minutes is enough time to do a lot of things. Most people can eat a meal, take a shower or even watch a recorded TV program without the commercials. It is also the amount of time it can take to get through the construction on Northeast 116th Street in south Juanita and Totem Lake. “It is extremely frustrating,” said Juanita neighborhood resident Janine Kunin. “It is like going through border patrol.” Some relief may be on the way. Denise Cieri, Washington State Department of Transportation I-405 deputy project director, said that the right-turn lane from the west-bound Northeast 116th lanes to north-bound 120th Avenue Northeast will open within the next couple of weeks. [ more TRAFFIC page 5 ]

BY MATT PHELPS

Several Lake Washington High School students were in attendance to show support for former boys basketball head coach and instructional assistant Barry Johnson, who was in court Monday morning.

Politicians meet at mayor’s home to support gay marraige Foes place gay marriage law on hold BY CARRIE WOOD cwood@kirklandreporter.com

Construction workers prepare the north half of the new Northeast 116th Street bridge for a concrete pour. The bridge is being constructed in two segments to allow the street to stay open. The project includes the replacement of a bridge over the old BNSF rail line, but has Kirkland residents upset over the wait times to pass on the road. Northeast 116th Street is one on the main thoroughfares to connect with I-405. MATT PHELPS, Kirkland Reporter

Students show support in court for former coach charged with sexual harassment mphelps@kirklandreporter.com

let with a $12,000 contribution. The car dealer also pledged to match up to $10,000 in contributions to help fund raisers meet their goal. But the event got one final push during the Kirk[ more FOURTH page 3 ]

The pretrial hearing was for charges of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes while at the high school. A Kirkland Municipal Court judge granted a request for a continuance from Johnson’s lawyer. “We need time to do more investigating and we

have more interviews to do,” said Johnson’s attorney. Pro tem Judge John Olson, who was sitting in for Judge Michael Lambo, granted the motion during the quick hearing. The ruling pushes court proceedings back to Aug. 6. Johnson has pled not guilty [ more COURT page 3 ]

Lake Washington High School students and former boys basketball coach Barry Johnson visit outside of a Kirkland Municipal Courtroom with his former students on Monday. CARRIE WOOD, Kirkland Reporter

Gay marriage supporters, including several Kirkland City Council members, are hoping to get voters to approve a referendum on the November general ballot that would uphold a new law legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington state. Opponents of gay marriage filed Referendum 74 in February that aims to overturn the law. Backers of the R-74 campaign needed to turn in 120,577 valid voter signatures by 5 p.m. Wednesday to qualify the proposed referendum for the ballot. However, opponents submitted more than 230,000 signatures Wednesday, according to the secretary of state’s office. Voters will have the chance to either approve or reject the law that would allow same-sex couples to marry. During a marriage equality event at Mayor Joan McBride’s Kirkland home on May 26, more than 100 gay marriage proponents raised nearly $11,000 for the Approve Referendum [ more MARRIAGE page 7 ]


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