In the process of composing this column each month, I am on the lookout for interesting tidbits, news and information that will about life here in Juanita and give us a chance to speak so that we can keep the neighborhood we live in a place we all enjoy.
There are many items that cross my desk. I receive biweekly updates and information from the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, for example (more on this later), from the city Planning and Community Development Department and from organizations such as the Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods. All of it is intended to give me a window on what is going on in the city and its effect on our area. I, in turn, try and interpret it carefully (well, perhaps not so carefully!) and then present it to you here.
The word communicate is defined as: "To make known, to impart; to have an interchange, as of thoughts or ideas; to be connected..." To truly communicate, particularly in our so called information age is a funny and amazingly challenging proposition. A good friend and wise pastor once quipped that the most important thing Adam and Eve lost at the fall wasn't the paradise, but communication. I tend to agree with him. There isn't an area in our lives that leads to more trouble than the lack of it or the fact that folks have been misunderstood by miscommunication.
In the past few weeks, I have received a number of items that affect our neighborhood in upcoming weeks. Some of them are wonderful ideas, with great intentions; however, I am concerned at the general trend of sending information from city sources when communication is what is necessary, particularly when there are important neighborhood impacts.
Let me give you an example: We are blessed with an active and creative Parks and Community Services Department here in the city. They are responsible for keeping our parks clean so that we may enjoy them on a daily basis. Here in Juanita, we have the added benefit of having several of the larger parks in the system. This is, as they say, a blessing and a curse.
What we consider our neighborhood parks: Juanita Beach, Juanita Bay, McAuliffe could also be classified a regional. That is, they are used by folks all over the city, and indeed the whole area. It would be naïve to think that this park would not be a spot to draw many people. As it is, the parking lots are full on any given sunny summer weekend and we are glad to see this after many years of disrepair.
That said, a recent e-mail from the Parks Department informed me that we are to be hosting a Friday Market that will run from June 1 to Oct. 5, somewhere (they haven't said where) at the Juanita Beach Park. I am not against a farmers market of any kind coming to Juanita. In fact, I think it is a terrific idea and have been in several meetings over the past two or three years to see what we could do to make it happen.
What I am against is anything coming in without first being run through some existing channels to see how we can support the idea and what the impacts are. Lest you think I am in love with our "process-happy" folks that tend to populate city government, I assure you this is not the case. What I am concerned about is our local business community - from N.E. 132nd Street to Totem Lake West, to Lower Juanita including Juanita Village - that seem to get left out of any discussions about bringing these events to our area.
With the possible exception of the Everyday Athlete (kudos to them), most of our local restaurants, hang-outs, etc., are left out of the loop when it comes to any of these activities that could benefit them most.
In addition, while the event itself is a great idea, it is fraught with challenges, not the least of which, in this case, is its timing. The market will run from 3-7 p.m. on Fridays. From the perspective of those who are selling, it is a great time, but it is the height of Friday traffic through an already taxed neighborhood, and one of its busiest intersections. Has anyone asked where those people are going to park? After numerous e-mails to those in charge down at Parks and Community Services, I could not get answers to these and other questions.
Let me reiterate, I love this idea. I love farmers markets in general, and I have always wanted one for Juanita. I just hate how this one is being put into practice. Information vs. communication. I hope that by next month we can get a response. Watch this space!
JUANITA BEACH CLEAN UP
It's here- time for our annual Juanita Beach Clean Up. The date is May 5 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine. We again are asking anyone from the community to join us with shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows and willing hearts to make the beach ready for the upcoming summer season.
This is our fifth year in doing the cleanup. We have been responsible for getting blackberries out of the stream, raking the beach of unwanted crud and even dredging the bottom of the swimming area of unwanted trash. We invite anyone from all over the city to join us. In addition, Starbucks is sponsoring the event, resulting in donations to our favorite charity based on number of people and hours we work.
This year, we are looking to donate to the Juanita High School PTSA scholarship fund. It truly pays to have as many folks as possible show up. This also counts as community service hours for students that need them. There will be someone from the Juanita Neighborhoods there to sign any forms for this purpose. Our neighborhood businesses have always been gracious to donate water, French fries, coffee and doughnuts, so I hope you will join us.
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING UPDATE
A big thanks to Rev. Michael Anderson, who has rescued us in these past couple of months when the security system at the church has gone off - thankfully no police were called; in fact, in March, one of the detectives was our speaker and showed up just as the alarm started ringing...
We had a wonderful presentation from King County on noxious weeds in April. Who would believe there are so many weeds that they are actually classed as A, B and C and that those on the A list must actually be eradicated by law. This includes such common weeds as milk thistle and garlic mustard. I encourage you to visit their Web site: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/weeds for this important information.
Next month we are bringing a parks update, more on traffic with Noel Schonemann and perhaps further "communication" on the Neighborhood Connection Grant voting for which was completed last month.
The No. 1 vote-getting item was the sidewalk on 99th (near the Shumway Mansion). Its proposal is to use the entire $50,000 on the project. The meeting will be May 21, 7-8:30 p.m. at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church.
Until then, I have enjoyed seeing spring breaking out across Juanita. The trees and flowers are lovely. I hope you have had time to wander through your little corner of the world and enjoy it, too. Take care; make time for the beach clean up and I'll see you in the neighborhood![[In-content Ad]]
