Autumn has always been my favorite season and the Seattle area is one of the most beautiful places in America when the leaves begin to turn. We are a few weeks away from the deep, brilliant colors……but I simply can’t wait…….enjoy these stunning pictures from around the area:
I received the Kenmore Newsletter Fall 2008 edition. It’s an excellent publication. As a resident there are interesting articles in the newsletter regarding topics such as the Northshore Fire Department, the King Co. Library System and the Utility District. Also, as a real estate agent, it helps me understand some of the “big picture” happenings in Kenmore. One other benefit of the newsletter is that it reminds me to visit the City of Kenmore’s website, which contains a huge amount of information about our community. The web address is http://www.cityofkenmore.com/. For those of you who don’t live in Kenmore, you can see the whole newsletter by going to the website, click on the “About Kenmore” icon which takes you to the next page. Click on “News” at the top. This brings you to a page of events. Scroll down to publications where you will find an on-line copy of the newsletter. I hope this helps give you some insight into our community. Kenmore, WA is my home and I really like it here.
Isn’t it cold in Seattle? We were asked this a lot in Italy. My realtives had a hard time believing that the weather in Seattle is temperate and relatively mild. Because we lie so far north, even most people in the United States think of Seattle as a cold place like Maine or Upstate NY. The fact is, the weather in Puget Sound is unique. Even though Seattle is further north than all other major US cities, we have an oceanic climate. As a realtor, I’ve worked with a lot of relocation clients and it’s always fun to see their faces when I mention that Seattle is a place where the grass is brown in the summer and green in the winter. We are famous for the rain, but most people don’t realize that we have virtually no rain from mid-July to late September.
Some of my friends told me that last month wasn’t a typical August and, since we were in Italy, I wanted to check back to see what happened. Well, I did some poking around and found a wonderful website called Beautiful Seattle that offers a huge amount of information about Seattle. One section of the site deals specifically with our climate. Below are several pages from the site. Just click on them if you want to visit the site:
In the top left of the site, click on the “select destination” menu which will take you to a whole array of topics. If you select climate you get this page:
From here you can select any number of reports regarding the weather in Seattle. So, for those of you who lived through the August weather and those who don’t live in the area, here’s what happened:
This is a very nice chart as it gives me a good idea of what the weather was like last month. It was a fairly cloudy August (unusual) and the temperatures were fairly mixed. Mid-month got really hot. I will tell you that Italy was downright brutal: mid to upper 90’s, sunny and humid. One similarity to Seattle is that most Italians don’t have air conditioning……………………..ouch!
Here is an artist’s concept of the new Evergreen Floating Bridge which is scheduled to open in 2014. It’s going to be a stunning structure with commuter lanes, 2 regular lanes, extra space on both sides for emergencies and (this is my favorite part) a lane for pedestrians and bicycles. Some estimates for it’s construction run in the $4 Billion range. It’s going to be one expensive project and the state legislature is asking the public how best to pay for it. It’s very likely that commuters will have to pay a toll to cross the bridge. The current 520 bridge was paid for with traditional tollbooths starting in 1963. The last toll was paid in 1979 and the tollbooths were removed. Quite a success story in it’s day. When the last toll was collected, four times as many vehicles were crossing the bridge each day, compared to when it first opened.
Fast forward to 2008. Things are far more complicated today. As the region has grown, the 520 Bridge has become a critical gateway for a huge number of commuters. Will these motorists gladly pay the proposed toll and continue to use the bridge? One negative outcome of the toll may be increased traffic through Kenmore as motorists attempt to avoid paying the toll. Anyone familiar with the 522 corridor through Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park (Bothell Way) knows that traffic is already a mess. The prospect of even more traffic congestion should be a wake-up call to us all.
Meet your intrepid bicycling adventurers, Virginia my wife and yours truly, James the Bicycling Realtor:
Virginia and I have been tandem bicycling since 1990 and there’s nothing we enjoy more than taking a ride on the bike from our home in Kenmore and doing what we call the mezzo-lake ride: we start in Kenmore, head south to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and then travel north back to Kenmore. This morning we took off at around 8:00 and got back home at 12:00. We’ve done this ride numerous times and there is always some surprise along the way. So what follows are photos of our short adventure. What you’re going to find is that bicycling is the perfect way to experience communities in a very intimate way. As a Realtor, it’s refreshing to look at homes from a bike. One can see how the house relates to the yard and the street. You can smell the neighborhood and hear the sounds. All-too-often we pass through other peoples’ neighborhoods in our cars hardly taking notice of how things fit together. We don’t have a chance to smile at an owner working in the front yard. We pass through anonymously.
At the intersecton of State Highway 522 and 80th Ave. NE (1 mile south of our home) there has been a huge construction project to upgrade the road. It really is amazing to see the size of this project.
We then head east on the Burke-Gilman Trail to Wayne Public Golf Course and then travel south into Juanita:
We continue south (uphill) to Downtown Kirkland. On the we pass by a wildlife refuge on Lake Washington:
Our big surprise today was reaching Downtown Kirkland and bumping into a huge car show. Check these beauties out:
Fortunately, the only fatality we witnessed today was the Wicked Witch of the West. Poor gal. After drooling over some wonderful cars we continued on our way.
From Kirkland, we head bicycle up an unpleasant hill into Downtown Bellevue.
Virginia loves this portion of the ride because we pass by one of the areas most elegant malls: Bellevue Square. Too bad we didn’t have a chance to stop today (ya, right!!). We continue through Bellevue and finally reach one of the best part of the ride: the I-90 floating bridge. The I-90 path starts in the Bellevue neighborhood of Enatai:
We head west onto Mercer Island and then reach the west point of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge. About 2 miles across, this is a wonderfully refreshing stretch of road. We are fortunate to have a bike lane on such a unique stretch of road.
At the west end of the bridge the auto traffic enters the Mt. Baker Tunnel which heads into Downtown Seattle. We continue by heading north on our way back home. We head along Lake Washington Blvd. through the neighborhoods of Leschi, Madrona, Madison and then hook over through the Seattle Aboretum and then over the Montlake Bridge.
It’s then past Husky Stadium at the University of Washington where Virginia must give the mascot a hug:
We usually stop at University Village for a coffee at Starbucks. University Village is one of the most charming shopping centers in the area.
After our caffene fix, we head north on 25th Avenue NE through such neighborhoods as Bryant, Ravenna, Lake City, Lake Forest Park and finally we’re back home in Kenmore.
Today was perfect for a bicycle ride. The weather was clear and comfortable. We didn’t encounter too much traffic on either the Burke-Gilman Trail or on the roads. Over the years, Virginia and I have logged literally thousands of miles on our tandem. It’s one of the most powerful and enjoyable way to enjoy bicycling together.
On July 7th, the State Court of Appeals overturned the 2004 King County Critical -Areas Ordinance. One of the most far-reaching laws of its kind, the ordinance prohibits landowners from removing vegetation from more than half of a property larger than 1-¼ acres or more. It is no secret that this ordinance has been extremely controversial. It has been the classic battle between those who want to preserve our environment (particularly watersheds) and those who feel that a land owner cannot be unduly restricted by governmental regulations. The court called the ordinance an indirect but illegal “tax, fee, or charge” on development. Basically, the court ruled that when property owners are restricted by government from the use of their property, they must be duly compensated. To be perfectly honest with you, I must agree with the court on this issue. As a community we certainly don’t want our neighbors turning their property into meth labs or toxic waste sites; however, we have an equal obligation as stewards of our own land to protect it and preserve its value.
This whole issue has been a wake-up call to all of us. We have an obligation to understand our rights and, when we feel they are being violated, we need to fight for them. Nothing speaks more loudly than the Fifth Ammendment to the constitution:
This coming weekend (July 12th & 13th) our neighborhood is having its 3rd Annual Bridlepath Garage Sale! Many households are participating offering toys, clothes, housewares, books, movies, furniture and much much more.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY FROM 9:00 - 4:00
Bridlepath is located at the intersection of 80th Avenue NE and NE 198th Street in Kenmore, WA. Here’s a map showing where we are:
By the way, Bridlepath is a great neighborhood. We are a community of almost 60 homes constructed by Harbour Homes starting in 2004. We have a very active home owner’s association and many engaged neighbors. We are conveniently located near shopping, restaurants and Bothell’s Country Village. Please come and visit us this weekend.
There are two homes currently for sale in the neighborhood:
19805 82nd Pl NE Kenmore, WA 98028 $469,950
19914 83rd Pl NE Kenmore, WA 98028 $485,000
So if you come over, love our neighborhood and would like to move in, please contact me at (206) 713-2102 or jlupori@comcast.net.
My wife and I rode our tandem bicycle through the new Burke-Gilman Trail underpass at NE Bothell Way and 73rd Ave NE yesterday. I can’t even begin to tell you how thrilled we were. Now, you may wonder why this is such a big deal so I’ll tell you: this particular intersection in Kenmore has been a point of irritation between bicyclists and motorists for years. It’s as if the transportation gods got together and said, “Where can we create a focal point for anger, frustration and ill will? Oh, that’s easy, just stick bicyclists and cars together at a dangerous intersection and there you go!”
The official opening of the underpass will be next Saturday, June 28th. My wife (pictured above with our tandem) and I will be there and we hope to see all of you trail enthusiasts.
For many years I was both a volunteer and employee of the Washington Business Week Program. Founded in 1976 at Central Washington University, it remains one of the most engaging and important experiential learning programs available to high school students here in the state of Washington. Since it’s inception the program has spread to numerous other states, Australia, New Zealand and it has even been conducted in Belarus.
So what is Washington Business Week? WBW is a week-long program conducted at four Washington State Universities. The student who attends the program will spend a week in the dormitory, work with a “company” of students he/she has never met on a fairly complicated business simulation, attend seminars, participate in a trade show, and much much more. Each student’s company is mentored by a business professional who volunteers a week of their time to guide the students.
I bump into people who attended WBW 20 years ago who still remember the “magic” of Business Week. For many kids it’s the first time they are away from home. For others, it’s a week that has a long-lasting impact on their lives. The adults who work with the students are so affected by the experience that many return year after year.
I can’t recommend WBW highly enough. Inglemoor High School consistently sends over 20 students to the program every summer. Here’s the good news: the cost to attend WBW is only $295 for the whole week which includes dorm room, food and program materials. Most of the cost is covered by corporate sponsorships by many Washington State Businesses. If you can’t afford the fee, financial help is available. Here’s the schedule for this summer:
Just think about it, your high school student can spend a week at one of four great schools: Gonzaga University, Central Washington University, Pacific Lutheran University or Western Washington University. If you want to send your student to WBW this summer (Freshmen through Seniors are welcome) please call the WBW office at 1 (800) 686-6442 or info@wbw.org.
A recent aerial shot of the Kenmore Brightwater Portal.
I live very close to the Kenmore Portal of the Brightwater Treatment System on 80th Avenue NE. After driving past the project for the last two years my curiosity got the best of me and I asked King County if I might visit the site. I don’t know about you , but I’m fascinated with public works projects, especially those that are visionary and necessary. As you may know, Brightwater has been the subject of huge controversy in King County. Most of the criticism has focused on cost, environmental impact and feasibility. I’m going to leave those debates up to others for now. My reason for talking to the county about the Kenmore Portal was to reach out to the site managers, say hello, and find out how things are going. I was pleasantly surprised.
I recently had a chance to speak with David Freed from the county and Derek Dugan, the Project’s Resident Engineer. Frankly, I had no idea how complex the project is, nor was I prepared for the education I received. Both David and Derek were very generous in explaining the various aspects of digging a 14-mile long tunnel. There’s a lot to talk about: from the machinery that actually does the digging, to the way in which the various contractors, governmental agencies and communities have worked together on the project. The next photo shows the location of the actual portal where the tunnel boring machines were launched:
Currently there are 110 laborers and 35 engineers working on the project in three shifts (24 hours a day). When I met with David and Derek they explained that the tunneling machines, named “Helene” (heading east) and “Rainier” (heading west) had tunneled 2000 feet and 300 feet respectively. On a good day the machines can bore about 60 linear feet. When I asked them what goes on “down there” they promised to send me a picture that would explain it all. Here it is:
The tunneling machines are, in fact, long train-like factories which process tons of earth and stone. They also manufacture the concrete sheathing of the tunnel itself. It’s an amazing process.
I would like to thank David and Derek for inviting me to the site trailer for an interview. I will be writing more about our important and interesting neighbors in the near future.
KIRO TV NEWS KUOW Kenmore Reporter Kenmore Blog.net
