Fall 2018 CERT Class Starts September 10

August 13, 2018
KIRKLAND, Wash. – Kirkland Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is now accepting registrations for the Fall 2018 class. This 8-week course will start on Monday, September 10, 2018 and will be held the following seven Mondays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Kirkland City Hall, 123 5th Avenue (lower entrance) Kirkland, WA 98033. The final simulation drill, which participants are required to attend, will take place on November 3, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
The CERT program educates residents in disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire suppression, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during the exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event.
The cost for the 8-week course is $35.00 for those who live, work, or go to school in Kirkland; $50.00 for those outside of Kirkland. Participants will receive a CERT kit containing a helmet, reflective vest, backpack, and other emergency supplies. The program is sponsored by Kirkland CERT, the Kirkland Office of Emergency Management, and the Greater Kirkland Citizen Corps Council. 
To register, go to www.KirklandCERT.com; for information e-mail Christina Brugman, Kirkland CERT, at CBrugman@Kirklandwa.gov.

Sound Transit released its ST3 Draft Plan at its March 24 Board Meeting. While the overall plan includes plans for transit in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, there were some projects which will impact the Kirkland area:

• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on I-405 from Lynwood to Burien
• An inline bus station at NE 85th and I-405
• Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes extending toward Downtown Kirkland from the station on 85th 
• New parking facilities at Kingsgate
• An environmental study to examine HCT options from Bothell to Bellevue via Kirkland

The ST3 Draft Plan does not include funding for construction of High Capacity Transit (HCT) on the Cross Kirkland Corridor. 

There is an open comment period from now until June when the elements for the November ballot measure will be finalized. You can send your comments to the Sound Transit Board via the Sound Transit ST3 website or by sending email to the Sound Transit Board or by calling 206-903-7000. 

The Kirkland City Council will receive an update and discuss the draft plan at its regular meeting on Tuesday April 5.

Draft plan documents from the March 24 meeting follow:

Last year, the Kirkland City Council voted to ban most plastic bags at city businesses. That ban will take effect March 1, 2016. The ban prohibits single-use plastic bags. It allows for plastic bags such as those used for transporting bulk food, hardware items, frozen foods, meats, and newspapers. It also requires retail stores to charge customers at least five cent fee for recyclable paper bags.
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From the Kirkland Reporter article:

Find out more about the City's plastic bag ban here. They also have a FAQ for Shoppers here. 

So, after March 1 be sure to bring along your reusable shopping bag when stopping into Metropolitan Market, PCC or QFC. Otherwise, bring along .05¢. ​

Kirkland City Council Member Jay Arnold has written an opinion piece for the Seattle Transit Blog (STB) asking that Sound Transit consider putting Bus Rapid Transit on the Cross Kirkland Corridor. The article generated a ton of comments from STB readers.
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ST3 Should Include BRT on the Eastside Rail Corridor By Jay Arnold

Later this afternoon, the Sound Transit Board will begin to define the ST3 package by determining their priority project list (PPL). As the project list gets narrowed, Sound Transit board members have an opportunity to be responsive to feedback from open houses and community outreach, provide meaningful transportation options for areas of dramatic growth, and create an ST3 package that has the best chance to be successful at the ballot in 2016.

Kirkland is in the middle of this dramatic growth. With over 82,000 residents, we are a smart-growth city that has already planned for transit-oriented development. Over the past decade, we have zoned for dense commercial and residential development, and are now seeing explosive growth with thousands of new multi-family units in the pipeline and thousands of new high-tech jobs in our downtown and Totem Lake urban center. Now, we need the transit.

Sound Transit’s draft priority project list (updated 6/9)  includes bus rapid transit (BRT) from Lynnwood to SeaTac along the I-405 corridor. This recognizes the need to connect cities among the Eastside and provides nearby access to East Link rail in Bellevue. The BRT leverages expansion of HOV/managed access lanes on I-405, direct access ramps in Renton, Bellevue and Kirkland, and existing park and rides adjacent to I-405. In Kirkland, Sound Transit envisions park & ride expansion and potential garage construction at Houghton Park & Ride, Kirkland downtown and Totem Lake.

The I-405 BRT line can be vastly improved by taking advantage of opportunities to eliminate the car-dependent focus for the last mile. Instead of just connecting cities on a map, Sound Transit should connect places using the Eastside Rail Corridor and allow more riders to get directly to their destinations.

In Kirkland, Bus Rapid Transit along the corridor would:
[Read the rest of the article and comments on the STB website...]

Are you curious what happens to your recycling after it’s picked up at the curb? Do you want to know how plastic bottles get separated from aluminum cans? Are you puzzled how Everest Creek gets to Lake Washington? Do you wonder what happens in the storm drains? See for yourself on tours offered through the 4th annual Kirkland Sustainability Education Series. Watch one couple survive on discarded food alone at our Outdoor Movie Night at Carillon Point – and learn what you can do at home to waste less food. This biannual series aims to teach Kirkland residents how to live more sustainably through tours, movies, and hands-on workshops. Space is limited so sign up today for any or all of these free learning opportunities at http://kirklandpw.eventbrite.com.

• Recycling: The Where and How Tour – Thursday, September 10, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Cascade Recycling Center, Woodinville
  
• Rainwater Walk: Where Rain Goes in Kirkland – Saturday, September 19, 10-11:30 a.m., Everest Park, Kirkland
  
• “Just Eat It” Feature Film – Saturday, September 26, 7:00-9:30 p.m., Carillon Point, Kirkland (Outdoor Movie)
  

For more information, contact Kirkland’s Recycling Hotline at 425-587-3812 or recycle@kirklandwa.gov.