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MAIL THEFT | Mail theft suspects had hundreds of pieces of mail from several cities, including Kirkland [6]
Obituary | Kirkland’s oldest woman Ruth FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013 Hamby dies at 106 years old [7]
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Sports | Kang Drill Team moving on to district, state championships [14]
Businessman proposes tasting train through Kirkland City officials take issue with alternative plan for Cross Kirkland Corridor BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@kirklandreporter.com
T
he City of Kirkland plans to move forward with the Cross
Kirkland Corridor’s rail removal as early as April, but a Snohomish advocacy group and a Kirkland business owner want the city to put
the brakes on the project. “It is a precious corridor for both trails and rails,” said Snohomish Mayor Karen Guzak, a member of 40 within the Eastside TRailway Alliance. “We have concerns that once the rails are taken out, they won’t go back in.”
Guzak believes that the Eastside TRailway Alliance and King County rail owners share the same long-term goals but there is some “pushback in the details.” The Eastside TRailway Alliance has been working with Doug Engle, who is a partner with the Eastside
Rail Community. The new company that started last December currently runs freight from Snohomish to Woodinville in Everett. But Engle has aspirations of commuter service to help get “around the I-405 parking lot” and a weekend excursion train from Snohomish
to Woodinville and, eventually, Kirkland. Before Engle’s excursion train becomes reality, however, Snohomish County would need to secure $6.2 million in state funds for railway upgrade between Snohomish and Woodin[ more TRAIN page 3 ]
Backyard chicken enthusiasts to give tips on how to succeed BY RAECHEL DAWSON rdawson@kirklandreporter.com
Founders of the Kirkland Coalition for Backyard Agriculture, a Kirkland couple who lives in the Norkirk neighborhood, were active forces in changing the city’s regulations for keeping backyard chickens. Now, after six months of enjoying eggs, feathers and clucks, Kathy Weber and Bill Shain want to spread the word to fellow Kirkland residents about the joys of keeping backyard chickens and tips on how to succeed. “This is the season of the year to bring home the baby chicks,” Weber said. “We want to get to know other people in our community who share our values and interests so we can be resources for each other and learn from each other.” The couple started the “loose” coalition in 2011 with about 20 active residents who were interested in health benefits of growing (and rearing) more food in the backyard. But Kirkland’s zoning codes were out of date at the time, so the group actively worked for more
than one year to change city code. As a result, in August 2012 the Kirkland City Council and the Houghton Community Council accepted the Planning Commission recommendation to allow up to three chickens at any single family residential property. For lots more than 5,000 square feet, families may have one chicken for every 1,000 square feet their property expands. But only families with 35,000 square feet of property may have roosters. Weber and Shain, who own seven chickens, plan to educate Kirklanders on these rules at a workshop from 1-3 p.m. March 10 at Kirkland Fire Department Station 22. “It takes a certain commitment to care for another living being. Like a dog or cat, you have to take care of them,” Weber said. Although they hope to share good tips on how to succeed with a backyard chicken farm for the workshop, Shain did say the coop’s location is key, which is why he built a mobile multi-level chicken coop.
Kathy Weber and Bill Shain in front of their mobile chicken coop in the backyard of their Norkirk neighborhood home. CONTRIBUTED Weber notes that positioning a chicken coop far from a neighbor’s kitchen window always helps keep a friendly atmosphere. “The general consensus is
that people are very positive about it,” she said. “We have lots of requests for eggs, so many that we can’t keep them all because people really enjoy them.”
The free workshop is for those interested and experienced chicken owners to come together to discuss best practices, how to find local resources, how to be a
good neighbor and how to succeed. For more information, email Kathy Weber at kirklandweber@me.com or call 425-827-3478.
Council supports national effort: ‘Corporations not people, money not free speech’ BY CARRIE RODRIGUEZ crodriguez@kirklandreporter.com
The Kirkland City Council approved a resolution Feb. 19 supporting a national movement that would disallow corporations the same political speech protections as those afforded to individuals. The move, if ultimately
passed at the national of regulating national elections. level, would prohibit elections and Councilwoman Penny corporate spending from spending is not Sweet and Councilinfluencing campaigns equivalent to man Toby Nixon voted and elections. limiting politiagainst the measure, The council voted 4-2 cal speech. The which also urges the to pass Resolution 4967, resolution also state Legislature and the Toby Nixon Bill LaMarche which states that only supports limits U.S. Congress to take humans – not corporaon a corporaaction to correct the tions – are persons under tion’s ability to “unbridled ability” of the constitution for purposes spend money during local and corporations to spend money
during elections. “I’m pleased that we got a win,” said Kirkland resident Bill LaMarche, a member of Move to Amend, a non-partisan group comprised of several local residents. Move to Amend members initially presented their cause to the council last September, along [ more SPEECH page 5 ]