Teenagers

This is a word that when most people read it they assume the article that follows will be about some kind of trouble. “What are the teenagers doing now?” Are they littering, playing their music too loud, cruising? Maybe this is too strong of a statement but I doubt the opposite is true, that most people get a warm fuzzy feeling after reading the word. I think safe to say that most people would just like to see teen related problems simply disappear with out it bothering them. Proof of this is in our actions, we banned cruising, we monitor the parks more closely to keep them away after hours, we set up traffic circles and bumps to slow them down, we are building a teen center so that we have a place especially for them. All of these things have positive aspects. I am not trying to suggest they don’t. But it seems like these things that we are doing are basically so that we don’t have to deal with teens, that we don’t want to take the time and energy to include them in our lives and community so we try to simply contain them as much as possible. Anyone close to a teen knows the struggle with this, and rightfully so, it is human nature to want to feel free and feel that your rights are recognized. History has proven that teens and any other group will always try to defy their containment

At our last neighborhood meeting we had a couple of teen guest speakers, from the Kirkland Youth Council, come and talk about something they are calling “Asset Building”. Yes, The City of Kirkland has a ‘Youth Council’. We are one of the few cities in the US to have this and we are becoming a model city in this area. But even with all this youth involvement statistics presented to us in the ‘Asset Building’ presentation show that only 17% of teens in the Kirkland/Redmond/Sammamish areas feel that adults in the community value youth (maybe these are the ones on the Youth Council!). I agree with this statistic. You can sense it; there is an attitude towards teens in the air.

The point of the presentation was of course to try to change this attitude by explaining that supporting teens through community and personal relationships produces the kind of teens we would like to have around. One of the suggestions the young woman made really stuck with me. She said to simply acknowledge teens with a friendly hello or smile. She said that often teens aren’t even acknowledged at all like other people are on the streets or in the parks.

Teenagers are a great asset to the community. They are energetic and vivacious and have a perspective that we haven’t thought of or have forgotten. We should tap that resource for them and for ourselves and for our community like the City of Kirkland is trying to do. So next time you pass by a group of teenagers give them a knowing smile and a nod remembering how fun it was to roll the windows down, turn up the radio and sing your favorite song or to rev up you engine or honk your horn at a car load of cute girls. For we all have these things in common just not always in the same era.

Traffic Circles Update

It was unanimously felt at the last meeting regarding traffic circles that one traffic circle, where the mock up sits now, is sufficient in slowing the traffic on the street. This will make it unnecessary to try out mock circles at 1^st Street South and 3^rd Street South as originally planned. With that determined the Traffic Control Coordinator for the City of Kirkland, Tracy Burrows, has sent out ballots to the residences of 7^th Avenue South and 2^nd Street South affected by the traffic circle. The 45 households involved have until May 1^st to turn in their vote. Seventy percent of the 45 households have to vote ‘yes’ in order for the traffic circles to pass. That means that every vote that is not turned in is considered a ‘no’ vote, this way the city can feel that every household affected was informed and their vote considered. If the traffic circle passes, construction will begin sometime this summer.

If you have any comments or concerns please contact Tracy Burrows, Traffic Control Coordinator at the City of Kirkland, 828-2238. Moore on traffic calming on 7^th Avenue South, east of State Street, in next months article.

Next Meeting

Out next Moss Bay Neighborhood meeting isn’t until June. I will let you know in the May article when and where that will be. In the mean time check out our web site for any new news or updates: www.mossbay.org

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