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LWSD | School district lowers athletic fees, raises ASB membership [8]
Editorial | How current technology connected FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 Kirkland with its past [4]
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Streets | City begins repairs and preservation work [7]
Kirkland hydroplane Miss DiJulio to race in Seafair Cup
Cousins’ love of boat races drives them to give back to community BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@kirklandreporter.com
E
ach year Kirkland residents hear the thunder of the Blue Angels flight team during Seafair and know a big party is going on at the other end of Lake Washington. Many take their own boats across the lake to join the party and watch the
Albert Lee H1 Seafair Cup unlimited hydroplane races. But many don’t have a civic or emotional interest in the races themselves. Two Kirkland cousins are trying to change that by also taking their own boat to the south end of the lake - to compete for the cup. “We all grew up in the Seward Park area,” Brian
DiJulio said. “We love it. It is what the Northwest is all about.” Cousins Brian and Chris DiJulio co-own the hull of the old 48 Snoqualmie Casino boat and rechristened it the Miss DiJulio. The two cousins live 13 houses apart in the Juanita neighborhood of Kirkland.
“We used to go the races and tie up to the boom together,” Brian said. “It is more than a boat to us. It brings tears to our eyes when we see it out there.” This is not the first year the cousins have sponsored a boat but it is the first time they have co-owned one. “We got the opportunity three years ago [to sponsor a boat] and jumped at it,” [ more DIJULIO page 6 ]
Healthcare workers picket hospital over staffing, wages and CEO’s raise BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
Healthcare workers from EvergreenHealth Medical Center are protesting a pay raise for their hospital’s CEO, claiming more workers are needed. A picket and rally was held July 17 outside of the center in Kirkland led by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, hoping to raise support and gain attention from the hospital. EvergreenHealth is part of King County Public Hospital District No. 2, which covers Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell, Kenmore and Sammamish. According to the hospital’s website, the facility receives about $14.9 million from taxpayers each year. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW represents nursing assistants and lab techs, among other support staff at the medical facility. The workers main source of contention is that the CEO, Rob Malte, was given an 18 percent EvergreenHealth worker James Victorian pickets the hospital with co-workers on July 17 in Kirkland to pay raise, bringing his protest staffing, wages and CEO pay. MATT PHELPS, Kirkland Reporter [ more RALLY page 2 ]
From left, Chris DiJulio, Jay Leckrone and Brian DiJulio stand with the Miss DiJulio hydroplane that will race in the Seafair Cup. CONTRIBUTED
City considering boardwalk along Lake Washington Blvd Council concerned about parking issues BY TJ MARTINELL tmartinell@kirklandreporter.com
The city of Kirkland has proposed the idea of a boardwalk for downtown. The proposed boardwalk, known as the “Lake Washington Promenade,” is intended to help improve the waterfront experience and accessibility for vendors and other activities, according to the July 3 City Council packet. The boardwalk as conceived would go from downtown to Carillon Point, though it is possible it could be extended further both ways. City Manager Kurt Triplett said there are a variety of ways the boardwalk could be designed. It would be 15-20 feet wide and could be tiled or bricked. The idea is to create a clear pathway that would provide opportunities for tourists to travel downtown, as well as have street musicians and community presentations. As part of the project, parking along the west side of Lake Washington Boulevard would be removed to create a wider walkway, and it is this
that the council is most concerned about. Although city staff has come up with several solutions, they are also recommending further study. The Transportation Commission has recommended an urban design study that would allow for public comment and examine potential alternatives. The issue was first discussed at the City Council’s April 15 meeting, when the council expressed concerns about its impact on traffic and asked for more information. At their July 15 meeting, the council decided to have the boardwalk in the Transportation Masterplan, and in several years the idea can be explored further when the Masterplan is adopted. Doing so, Triplett said, will allow the city to apply for grants and funding for the project when it is examined in three to five years. But even then, he said that the work would involve preliminary plans assessing the practicality of the boardwalk and developing solutions for the likely impact on parking and traffic.