FINALLY - THE RIBBON CUTTING!

FINALLY! The official ribbon cutting and dedication of the Rotary Central Station was on Friday, October 6, 2023, at noon. So many people worked on and supported this project - it's great to finally (delayed by Covid) recognize them and celebrate!

Fini!!

Take a stroll on the CKC and take a look at  the pavilion now!                                            

                                             Here is the Kirkland Rotary Central Station 

                                                          complete with history signs.

 It's been quite a while since the last post, but wait 'til you see the change!  The attached photo doesn't even show the very latest additions:  five history signs in the pavilion.  If you haven't checked it out recently, take advantage of this lovely, sunny day and take a walk along the CKC!

But wait! There's more!

For those of you who have been around Kirkland very long, the term "Truck Eating Bridge" is a familiar one.  Well, on both the west and the east sides of that bridge, there were old, very faded Northern Pacific logos. Spurred on by Sandy Ekins, a long-time Kirkland resident, business owner, past president of Kirkland Rotary, etc. etc., David took on the task of restoring both logos.

First, he worked on the one on the west side.  With pictures of the Northern Pacific logo in his left hand, paint brush in this right, and somehow holding on to the ladder, he completed that logo.  He received many honks, cheers, and shouts of "thank you" from passing motorists which no doubt steadied his hand and helped his balance.

The restored logo on the west side of the bridge.

Then he moved on to the east side.  This one is a little trickier because the ground is sloped rather than level, but he was making great progress when WHAM! the bridge caught another truck.  Somehow the difficulty of driving a 12' 6" truck under an 11' 6" bridge had not registered with the driver. David quickly checked to make sure the driver was not injured and then calmly continued painting. The east bound lane of Kirkland Way was blocked and the police arrived to direct traffic and deal with the truck and driver.

David painting the logo while a truck is firmly stuck under the bridge..

So next time you drive your less than 11'6" vehicle under the infamous bridge, take a quick look at the lovingly restored logos!

A Glimpse of Progress on the Project

It's time for "Before" and "After" comparison photos to help us recognize the progress made on this project.  

This photo was taken in January 2018

This photo was taken from the same spot on May 13, 2020

What a difference!  And, all due to volunteers from Rotary and the neighborhood.  Wow!

Semaphore is UP!

Thanks to a donation of a semaphore from Bob Tjossem, volunteers from Kirkland Rotary, and Kevin and his crew at  Apex Steel we now have a semaphore installed at the site!  This was no small task!

First Bob had to locate, purchase, and have the semaphore shipped to Kirkland.  Then  several trusty Kirland Rotarians had to move part of it to the site  and install the base, then move the rest of it to the Apex Steel yard for assembly, then Kevin and his Apex crew moved the assembled semaphore across the street to the site and placed it on the base.  Quite the impressive process!

Rotarians moving Semaphore pieces from storage locker.

And, moving part of the semaphore onto the truck.

Then, installing the base.

David assembling Semaphore in Apex yard.

Kevin and Apex crew installing rest of semaphore on the base.

Semaphore installed!  (thanks to Don Winters for the photo)

More to come:  red, yellow, and green lenses in the signal.

And, watch for signage regarding the native plants and Kirkland's railroad heritage.  Not to mention, a picnic pavillion some day!

Have you checked out the project lately?

Sorry to take so long to bring you up to date on the progress!  Although you will need to actually see the project site to fully appreciate the changes, here's a quick preview:

•  60 feet of railroad track from the CKC is now fully installed!  It was quite the show!

• Most of the split rail fence is up, and the native plant area has been cleared of invasive species.  It now has quite a number of native plants in it with more to come.  This area will be even more impressive when Spring finally arrives and more plants start sprouting leaves.  (A sign identifying the plants in the garden is finished and will be up soon.)

Next steps:

• Installation of various railroad signage and artifacts
• Historical signage explaining the role the railroad has had in Kirkland's history
• Actual installation of the Rotary Central Station picnic pavilion!  (The City hopes to start in March.)