This Week in Kirkland

September 5, 2024 - TWIK

This week Jim, Kate, and David invite you to volunteer at City Hall For All and the Green Kirkland Stewardship. A City Council Recap. Reduce waste at our Costume Swap. Join us at the Senior Resource Fair. A reminder of the BYOC Contest ending soon, including the grand prize (e-bike!). An opportunity to recycle hard-to-get-rid-of items at our Recycle Right Event. Be ready for National Preparedness Month. Upcoming events: See Spot Splash, The Kirkland Cadet Benefit Car Show, & the Electric ...

Duration:: 32m
Broadcast on:: 05 Sep 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

>> Hello and welcome to the September 5 episode of This Week in Kirkland, the official podcast of the city of Kirkland bringing you timely topics and noteworthy news delivered to you every week. I'm your host, Jim Lopez, one of two deputy city managers here at the city, joined today by two members of our podcast team. >> Kate Ryan. >> And David Wohlbrecht. >> And thank you very much, David Wohlbrecht, for doing such a wonderful job while I was back east, rooting for the Red Sox unsuccessfully, of course. So, happy to help, Jim, my pleasure and condolences. >> Yeah, thank you. And of course, we're joined by our very, very special guest, council member, John Pascal. >> Hey, thank you. It's great to be here. >> Well, we're super excited to have you here. >> Yes. >> We're going to have a lot of fun talking about what it's like being a council member. This is consistent with our Meet the Council video series. >> Yeah, that's right. >> And we'll have council member Pascal's video in the show notes. >> Exactly. >> Yes, we're going to have some fun talking about that. But first, before we do, here are the topics we're covering this week. If you announcements, including a stewardship opportunity with Green Kirkland, a recap of the recent city council meeting, the annual Halloween Cushing Squad. >> Oh, that sounds fun. >> Yes. >> And our upcoming senior resource fair. >> We've also got info on the Bring Your Own Cup Contest, Fall Recycle Right event, tips for preparedness month, and some other upcoming events. >> Yes. And of course, a reminder that as always, we have links and more information in the show notes for all of our items, so please take advantage of that wonderful resource. >> Mm-hmm. >> So our big story of the week, City Hall for All, everybody, is next weekend. >> Wow. >> Holy cow. >> Wow. >> It just, it came around so fast. >> And that's a big, big event. >> Oh, yeah. >> And we could use your help to make it the best City Hall for All ever. >> Mm-hmm. That's right. >> And we have a jam pack day. We've mentioned some of this before, but we have our big truck day display, so a showcase of new and old trucks. Check that out. >> On performances. >> Kids activities, pop up markets, and more, and it's all free, a lot of fun to be had. >> Yeah, and consider volunteering and giving back to our community. There are many positions and shifts available. >> That's right. Yeah, although this is kind of an all hands on deck for City staff, it is such a big event that we really could use some volunteer support. So rolls all the way from set up to breakdown to way finding to bike ballet. >> Mm-hmm. >> Yeah, that's great. We might talk about that later. >> Yeah, talk about the bike ballet. Well, there is a rumor that the deputy mayor will be performing it to the overalls. >> Mm-hmm. >> Oh, man, that sounds -- I would love to see that. >> Yeah. >> You know, did you know that this is scheduled at the same time as the Apple Cup? >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> We're struggling. >> We're struggling. >> Yeah. >> I'm struggling with which to attend. >> We were -- so right now, we can't commit to this yet, but we were thinking about actually having the game playing inside in the lobby. >> Yes. >> Just so we could go a long way to those Huskies. >> Huskies, who are otherwise really torn. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I heard the Jumbotron got hacked. >> Yeah. [ Laughter ] >> Jumbotron, our huge -- oh, gosh, how did it end up on the game? >> Yeah. >> Our huge movie -- portable movie screen will be at City All For All. >> Batteries of the remote just died, too. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I think you can come early to City All For All and still make the game. >> Yeah. I think so. >> I think so. Help volunteer and go dogs or kooks. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So while we're talking about volunteering, how about considering joining the Green Kirkland Stewart team? >> Stewards are volunteers who lead other volunteers in forest restoration projects, and there's a three-part orientation coming up to get you all set up and ready to lead. >> Yes. This is a free program open to all, and you will learn all about and hone skills in urban forestry, habitat restoration, and volunteer management. >> Yes. >> The most recent meeting with the Kirkland City Council was on Tuesday, September 3rd. Here's what happened. On the business agenda, Council approved some miscellaneous zoning amendments. >> Mm-hmm. >> They also gave feedback on updates to their policies and procedures. >> And note, we previously listed that Council would receive an update on the Energy Smart Eastside program. That presentation's actually moved to September 17th meeting. >> Mm-hmm. And prior to the business agenda, Council discussed the preliminary six-year capital improvement plan. That was really interesting. >> Also, the draft housing element of the comprehensive plan. >> And a reminder that City Council meetings are streamed live on the City's YouTube channel, Facebook, page, and the City website. The next City Council meeting is September 17th. >> Yes, right around the corner. Hey, as Costco's decoration section is quick to remind us, Halloween is just around the corner. >> There's like a 12-foot skeleton there, I don't know, it's-- >> Costco does Halloween. >> Yeah. I mean, technically they did it back in August, but-- >> So if you say last year's costumes don't throw it away. >> It quite-- >> Yeah. Instead, consider reducing waste and trade it in for a new costume at the much-loved Halloween costume swap happening later this month. >> Yeah, we'll be accepting clean and gently used costumes, masks, hats, and accessories during the week of September 23rd, 227th. Then come back on September 28th to pick out a new-to-you costume. >> And if you want to help out on the day of the event, we'll include instructions in the show notes. Why am I associating Halloween, you, and Robinhood? >> Yes. So-- >> Oh, yeah. >> Unless-- >> Is that right? >> Yeah, so my childhood Robinhood costume was donated by my mom, high-season avid listener. >> Nice. >> Why did my dad hate him? Last year, so unless someone in the current community re-donates it, I otherwise don't know where my Robinhood costume-- >> It's out in the world, Robinhood. >> Out in the world. >> Yeah. >> Justice. >> Justice. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Forest Justice. >> Yeah, speaking up for the underdog. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay, great stuff. Now, the Kirkland Senior Resource Fair is coming up on September 19th, so don't miss out on free advice, free advice, great, and help. >> Also great. Yeah, so local agencies will be present to offer information on services like health and wellness, legal services, transportation, senior living options, and much more. This is a fun and easy opportunity to get answers for adults age 50 and over to free drop-in event at the Peter Kirk Community Center and no registration is required now. >> Yeah, that's great stuff. Hey, have you entered the BYOC contest? What does BYOC stand for, you ask? Oh, bring your own cat. >> Cat? >> Cat? >> Cat? >> I'm not sure. I'm not sure about that one. >> It might be a cup. >> A cup. There he goes. >> Okay. This is the final month of the bring your own cup contest, and we will be announcing the grand prize at the end of the month. >> Entering the contest is super easy. The next time you get coffee, bring a clean reusable cup, take a selfie with your cup, and upload your picture tagging Eastside BYOC. >> Nice. >> And when you tag Eastside BYOC, you will be entered to win tickets to events in the grand prize. That's right. >> Ooh. >> On e-bike. >> I don't know if it'll be a fancy e-bike like Council Member Pascal's bike. >> I mean... >> But it might be. I kind of feel like all e-bikes are a little fancy. >> Yeah. >> They are. So, hey, bring your own cup, win an e-bike. >> There you go. >> Nice. There's incentive there. So, do you still have that paper bag of random electric cords, David? >> Yes, I do. >> Well, at least you're honest. >> Yeah. >> Well, we've partnered again with Waste Management to host the ever-popular Recycle Right event. >> Yes. So, I've marked my calendar. You should mark yours too, folks. Saturday, October 5th at Lake Washington Institute of Technology from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. >> This is a great chance to get rid of batteries. >> Oh, great. >> Batteries, right? >> Yes. >> We blow through them. DVDs, Blu-ray players, if you have those around still, barbecues, bikes, household appliances, or other scrapwoods and metals. >> Yeah. Now, if you're a Kirkland resident, there is no cost to recycle any of the accepted items. You can find a full list of accepted items on our website. >> Mm-hmm. >> Well, it's really great. >> We've got a lot of free opportunities in this podcast. >> Yeah. That's what we do here. Yeah. Fun and free. That's our motto. So, September is National Preparedness Month, and start a conversation to keep you and your loved ones safe. >> That's right. So, start a conversation, quote-unquote, is actually the theme for this year's Preparedness Month, and it's really easy to start a conversation. You can ask questions like, "Do you know what kinds of hazards are common where you live, work, and travel?" >> Win emergency strike. How will we stay connected and get information? >> Excellent questions. >> And do you know where we or our pets will go if we're told to evacuate in an emergency or a disaster? >> Yeah. We talk a lot about preparedness, everybody, on the podcast. It's just that important. So, go to www.kirklandlaw.gov/makeapplan for more prompts, resources, and lists. >> Mm-hmm. >> Yeah, that's right. >> Hey, David, a few upcoming events. >> Mm-hmm. >> That's right. C-spot splash. Fan favorite. Saturday, September 7th. >> Love that event. >> Music treats, vendor boots, and off-leash fun. >> At the event. >> Nice. >> Nice. Then we've got the Kirkland Cadet Car Show. >> That was a great game. >> That's September 21. Yeah. Up at the Justice Center, stop by and check out some cars. Emissions is free for spectators. >> Also, our leaf blower trade-in, or do another one of those, September 28th, trade-in your gas leaf blower for a voucher towards an electric leaf blower. >> Super cool. >> Nice. The electric leaf blower on the back of an electric bike, to get a little bonus boost. >> A little boost. >> Is that-- >> Yeah. >> Is that fully sustainable? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Sure. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. >> There you go. Okay. >> And that brings us to our five, over five, that's five questions. It is what is metaphysically certain to be? >> Mm-hmm. >> We've returned. We've run the data. >> Yeah, sure. >> Over five minutes. With our special guests, Council Member John Pascole. Welcome. >> Thank you. And in our show prep with Council Member Pascole. >> That's right. >> Yep. >> You've got some-- >> We've got some stories. >> We've got some stories. >> We've got some really fun stories. >> Yeah, it's fun thinking about, you know, the different things I've experienced. >> Yeah. Well, it's-- >> You'd like to ask a lot of questions? >> Absolutely, yeah. >> And that first question comes Member Pascole would be a big one. How did you come to the City of Kirkland? >> My wife. >> Oh, okay. >> We have to give a big shout out to Kristen, because I know she's a big fan. >> Yeah. >> She's one of your biggest listeners. >> Awesome. That's great. >> She was living here before, you know, we were married and, you know, introduced me to Kirkland a little bit, and I was living in Seattle at the time. And at that same time, I happened to take a job in Kirkland. My employer was located in Totem Lake, so I was like, "Wow, best of both worlds. I can work and I can live the city." And so, just an awesome opportunity, and we rented an apartment in Juanita for a number of years before we moved up to Finn Hill. So yeah, it was a great kind of introductory to Kirkland. >> Oh, so great. >> Yeah, that live near your work is kind of a little bit of a signature policy. >> Well, I know, and it definitely is, and that's why, like, having an EV bike and being able to ride to work, and you know, that just makes that even a better possibility. You know, you never really have to go anywhere. >> Now, Councilman, when you were a transportation engineer at that time? >> I was. >> Yeah. >> I had just graduated from getting a master's in transportation engineering at University of Washington. >> Oh, nice. >> Oh, great. >> So I was looking to kind of plant some roots somewhere. >> Yes. >> Nice. >> Yeah. >> So your professional life kind of, you know, provided a lot of the impetus for the policies and interests that you espouse as a council member? >> Definitely, that's how I found my way to where I'm at today is transportation policy. >> Mm-hmm. >> But now, you weren't always a transportation engineer, were you? >> I wasn't. >> Tell us about that. >> Yeah. Well, I knew that I wanted to do engineering, and then I knew that I really had this love of the outdoors, and so when I was at the University of Washington as an undergraduate, I was like, "There's this great program called Forest Engineering. I can be an engineer, and I can be in the forest." Why not? That's a Fenn diagram everyone loves, yeah. >> Yeah. >> Connecting a lot of dots. Live where you work. >> Yeah. >> Work in the forest where you love to be. >> Yeah. >> Right, and engineer. >> Yeah, be an engineer. >> Okay, wow. So you, that was your major. That's what you studied. >> Yeah. And it, but the forest engineering had a lot of transportation and civil engineering part of it, so I also got exposed to that whole side, but also got exposed to the whole forestry side. So trees. And you know, tree policy is also big. >> Oh my goodness. [laughter] >> Good grounding in the tree policy. >> Nice. >> So tell us now, so you went to work basically in forest engineering, and you spent a little time in the forest. >> I did. I basically was what you would call the kind of, the person in charge of the forest roads. >> Oh, okay. >> And so kind of making sure that they were maintained and that, you know, that the stream crossings, my early work was all about fish passage barriers and removing those along logging roads. >> Oh, cool. >> Designing solutions and working with the contractors. And then other times I would go in and, because these were working for us, I would, I would survey in a logging road. So I would, I would go out there by myself. I'd be in the woods by myself with my clinometer, my measuring tape and, and a compass. And I would lay in these roads, I'd flag them in. And then, you know, a few days later, bulldozer would come and build them. >> Oh, wow. Wow. >> So you know what a clinometer is. >> That's not, that's just not a common term. You're right. It shows the elevation making sure I'm, I'm not laying in a really steep logging road that a logging truck wouldn't be able to go out. >> Oh, yeah. So it's like a little scope or something like that. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Okay. >> So that explains. >> That was before like all this cool technology, right? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well, I will say, you know, I've been on many a forest road in my time hiking. So thank you for your role in helping me get into the backcountry. >> Yeah. >> So one morning, you woke up in your capacity as a forest engineer and you got an interesting assignment. >> Yeah. Well, in these being, working for a forestry company, you have to wear a lot of different hats and be able to flex and do different things. Just probably like many, many employment situations. And you know, one of the things that we did as a forestry company was we wanted to protect our assets, which is our small saplings and trees, because that was the money, right? They grow into big trees. And one of the problems that we were experiencing was early in the season after the snow melted, there wasn't a lot of food and the berries weren't growing. So the bears awake from the hibernation and they would eat the small saplings, the cambium right behind the bark and basically kill off a lot of the trees and that was- >> So the bears are eating the tree. >> Yeah. The problem for a forest company, right? >> Yeah. >> Oh my gosh. So what did you do? How do you manage that? >> Yeah. And by the way, I didn't know that I was getting into this when I accepted the job, but- >> Oh gosh. >> Yeah. I didn't know that we had a bear feeding program, a feeding program, and we would go out. I would go out with a big bag and the bags loaded in the truck and go and fill up canisters in the middle of the forest. >> Oh my gosh. >> Of like, sirloin steaks? >> They were just like bear pellets, I don't know what they're made of. They looked like dog food, bear pride. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So you were basically like bear door-dashing. >> Yeah. >> That is right. They'd go out and say, "Hey, is this one empty? Does it need to be refill?" >> Wow, and then you'd fill it up and yeah, and you know, if they were empty, you'd be walking through the forest with bear food and you could hear the bears like you couldn't see them because they, you know, they were kind of scared, but you could hear them. They were like, "Wait." They're like, "Okay." >> Oh my gosh. >> That's dinner bells. >> Yeah. >> Ding ding ding. >> The key there, John, is you don't want to be the dinner. >> Right. >> That's right. >> Right. >> Wow. That's wild. >> So they were well fed. So they weren't like super hungry, right? >> Yeah, okay. >> They didn't want to try something new. >> That is just such a great story. So there you are, like I hope they gave you some bear spray or something. >> Yeah. Had some bear spray. Never had to use it. >> But to be clear, you couldn't drive the pickup truck, get out of the truck and dump the food. >> No, no. Yeah. Because the bears wanted to eat in privacy, right? >> Yeah, of course. >> They don't want to eat along the road. >> I mean, that's generally how I approach my dinners, too. >> Yeah. >> You know, I like it. >> They want their space. >> You know, a few hundred yards off the road. And you'd have to hike through the forest to deliver the goods, essentially. >> So you're out there by yourself, hundred yards away from your truck. >> With your rustling? >> Yeah, I only had to do it a few times because, you know, we had a bear feeder. You know, that was their job to do that. >> Wow. >> But, you know, they take vacations and stuff, and so I'd have to fill in every now and then. >> Wow. Such a great story. Now, your affinity for bears doesn't actually end there, though. Because years later, you, the intrepid pascal family went off to Alaska, right? >> Well, yeah. >> Back when I was younger, I saw this documentary called "River of Bears" that was played on one of the local stations, and you saw bears catching salmon in their mouth. >> Oh, totally. >> And I was like, wow, I would love to go see that. That sounds awesome. And the Alaska Department of Game actually has a lottery each year, and they give out permits to let people go into what's called McNeil River Bear Sanctuary in ten people a week for the three months of the summer. >> Oh, my gosh. >> And the lottery's very competitive. You have about a 1% chance of getting a permit. And so, my mom and I had been applying a few years, and finally, they sent us a letter and said, "You've been selected," and we're like, "Yes." >> Oh, wow. >> Yeah. >> Oh, my goodness. >> Let's go. >> Oh, my gosh. >> And then I'm like, "Where is this place?" You know, "How do I get there?" >> Yeah, yeah. >> Yeah. And so, you actually, we hired like a bush pilot. >> Yeah, I was going to say, yeah. >> A float plane, and they take you in on high tide, and, you know, they drop you off. They literally don't turn off the engine. They basically take your bags, they throw on the beach, and then they're -- and it's like, see you in a week, and there's no way to reach them right after that. >> Oh, my gosh. >> So, you need to be back there in seven days for pick up. >> Wow. >> It's like the opposite of Uber. >> I love it. >> Yeah. >> So, wow, so you were up with the bears, okay. >> And these are grizzlies. >> Oh, those are greasy. >> Yeah, the last brown bears. The biggest bears. >> Oh, yeah. The biggest bears. Yeah. Yeah. >> Wow, such great stuff. Okay, so let me jump back. Thank you. That was a lot of fun. >> Mm-hmm. >> So, let's go back to the timeline. So, you finished up. You pivoted from forest engineering to transportation engineering, right? >> Correct. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And that's then when you found employment in Totem Lake. >> Yeah. >> Is that right? >> Well, it kind of just got into transportation. I actually started working for the government early on. >> Oh, okay. >> King County Department of Transportation. That was kind of my first like, salaried job, right? >> Mm-hmm. >> Or not hourly. >> Yeah. >> And working for the DOT there. And, you know, that kind of got me exposed to, hey, you know, this transportation stuff's kind of cool. I want to learn more about it. And that's when I decided to go back for my master's. >> Oh, nice. Okay. >> To kind of get, you know, a little bit more education and know-how. So I could get even a better job. >> Sure, sure. And then you come to Kirkland and now the rest is, you know, the story begins in Kirkland. The rest is history. Here you are in the city council. Tell us, Council Member Pascal, something that you love about the city of Kirkland. >> You know, I really like all the great planning that has gone on over the decades, you know, to where we see kind of the fruits of that, of that labor, you know, whether it's the water, the downtown, the quaint downtown with the waterfront parks or the different kind of urban nodes across the city. >> Yeah. >> You know, you think of like Juanita, kind of the village atmosphere of it and how it's kind of connected to the lake, you have Totem Lake that has kind of all the services and healthcare. You have Bridal Trails that's kind of like the shopping center in the woods. >> Yeah. >> So there's kind of all these distinct urban kind of villages, as I'd call, that were, you know, intentionally developed around parks and schools and everything. And it's something unique, I think, that I see in Kirkland as compared to other communities. >> Yeah. That's a really great insight. >> Yeah. >> I like to say that we do planning really well. It's a city like we have all these plans and we're very plan focused. But what you're talking about is like the manifestation of those plans, you know, it's the plans applied. >> Yeah. >> And we are very deliberate of intentional about where we wanted to grow and how we wanted to grow. >> Mm-hmm. >> That's great. >> Yeah. Like many of your peers, you've come to the city council via a border commission, right? You came up through the planning commission? >> Yeah. >> Were you also on the transportation commission? >> I got my start on the transportation commission. I thought it was when right after I moved to Kirkland, I was like, "Oh, you know, I need to volunteer somehow." >> Yeah. >> And I saw, you know, one of the postings, like, "Be a commissioner, you know, apply." And I applied and, you know, it was like a nerve-wracking experience because you get an interview with the city council. >> Yeah. >> And so that's why I kind of empathize when people come and interview with us because I remember that first time I was like super nervous. >> Oh, yeah, sure. >> I didn't know what I was going to say. >> Yeah. >> And so really try to make that kind of a low-key experience because we depend upon these volunteers. >> Sure, sure. >> Yeah. >> Mm-hmm. >> So we have, we're starting our second class of the Kirkland initiative. I know it's a high priority of the council to make sure that we're getting out there reaching people that want to be in civic leadership, not to put you on the spot, but how would you kind of succinctly characterize the difference in the transition from being on a boarded commission and being on a council member and just kind of a general thought about what it's like to be a council member? >> You know, I would say the transition is not, like, hugely significant. I mean, being a council member, I mean, there's a lot more responsibilities, obviously, because you're the one that's actually voting and making the final decision. But on the board and commission, the policy aspect and debate and bringing others along and kind of hearing from one another, that's all very similar. >> Sure, sure. >> Experience. >> Yeah. >> And so that's why, you know, I really do think that that's a great training ground for someone who might be interested in being a city council member. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> That's really great. I mean, we like to say to the students that if you bring your values, your heart, and you just bring your common sense, rely on the staff to get you the information you need, and then your job is to make decisions, you know, work with staff to make decisions. >> Yeah. >> And there's some commonality between the experience. >> I mean, in the subjects that we get into are pretty detailed stuff, right, that we do as a city. I mean, some folks, I think it can be quite overwhelming, but, you know, that's just kind of the nature of what we do. I mean, we have to get involved in all the different aspects that the city does. >> Yeah, you definitely have to bring energy to the work, like you have to really want to be involved. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Yeah. I think that's the case. So thank you. So quick question. What are you up to lately? >> Well, I mean, one of the things that obviously that I bring to the council is around transportation. So one of the big things that I'm thinking about and really trying to advocate for is transportation, traffic safety, active transportation safety. >> Sure. And one of the things that I get to do is I get to sit on the Cooper Jones Active Transportation Safety Council as a member of the Association of Washington City. So that's an appointed position since as a council member. I'm the only council member on that body, and it's sole purpose is to improve safety for active transportation users in Washington state. >> Wow. And active transportation, just for our listeners, what is that? >> Walkers, bikers, people on wheelchairs or rolling, you know, skateboards, other kind of non-motorized devices. >> Sure. I love it. >> Yeah. And that committee is named after Cooper Jones, who was tragically killed as a bicyclist. And he was a teenager at the time, and this was probably 15, 20 years ago. And that was created by the state legislature. And I have a similar story. One of my closest friends was tragically killed on a bike about 24 years ago to the day. And that's really influenced kind of why I'm passionate about it, you know, also kind of led me into the transportation field and kind of why I am focused on safety, because I've seen kind of how that impacts of something like that on a family, on friends, on myself, that it's hard. I don't want other people to experience that. >> Yeah, of course. It's profound how much the physical infrastructure influences people's behavior. Like if you have easy, safe passage for a bike, it's so much more likely that you're going to use that mode of transportation. >> Yeah. People, I think people gravitate to things that are easy to use that are comfortable, where they feel safe, and they're going to be more apt to choose that as a transportation norm. >> Yeah, it's part of the motivation behind our very first year bike valet program we've been working with some of our volunteers to do the bike valet, and we have it down by the pump station we've been doing the Wednesday markets, and it would be really cool to have like all the, like a cool economic development, active transportation initiative to have all our cities have clear bike valets, make it free, easy peasy, and then clear bike paths and safe passageway to drive around the east side, maybe even all over the bridge to Seattle. >> Well, the bike valet and the bike parking kind of more broadly is actually really important, especially as more people shift to electric bikes, because people invest in those. Those are not cheap, unfortunately, I would like them to be cheap, but they're not, and so you are constantly as an electric bike owner thinking about where am I going to park that, because I don't want that stolen, I don't want my $2,000, you know, $1,500 investment stolen, you know, yeah, taken. >> Yeah. >> Now, make it easy. That's the key. >> That's right. Now you, you have a, there's some active transportation, like, summit or something coming up. Is that right? >> Yeah. The walkbike roll summit that's being put on by the Cascade bicycle club, that's next week. It's two days Thursday and Friday down in Tacoma, and basically it's like the who's who of advocates of elected officials, of agency staff, and then other enthusiasts around, and the theme of the summit is safety for all, so for all road users. And so it's not just about bikes, it's about those who are walking and rolling as well. And so I get to, they invited me to participate on a panel of elected officials to kind of talk about how their community is approaching safety, traffic safety, active transportation safety, and the safe systems approach, which is holistically looking at what we can do to improve safety, not just through projects, but through education, reinforcement of our laws and so forth. >> Yeah, like most things, it's a full system. Like you have to have multiple things working together and get the outcome you want. >> Exactly. So I'm looking forward to that. >> Wow, that's interesting. >> Yeah, that's a good time. >> Fantastic. >> That's just fantastical. That was a lot of fun. >> Yeah. >> So we do have one more question. >> Last question, do you have a favorite book or movie or show? What are you watching these days or listening to or? >> Yeah, I was kind of thinking about that because I knew you'd ask this question. I'm kind of catching up with some of the series that I recorded over the summer. >> Oh, nice. >> And one of the ones is the series of alone that I've been watching. >> Oh, I like that show. >> And you know, it kind of goes back to my story of Alaska. You know, being alone, hearing while you're going to sleep, hearing critters outside and making noises, you know, I just find that so fascinating what how it's not the physical difficulties that get people to walk away from that show. It's the mental, like being alone and not connected to people, like that is really fascinating to watch. >> That's a great one. Oh my God. >> Full circle to our conversation. Welcome to Member Pascal. You stick around for our pop quiz, multiple choice trivia. >> Do I have to? >> Sure, of course. >> Sit there and enjoy the thought process. So we hear you like hiking. So one of these answers is taking a selfie on the summit while the others have rocks in their shoes. No fun. Which of course means we just made them up. So two of them we made up. One of them is the answer. Okay. Option A, the longest true hiking trail is the Great Western Loop at 6,875 miles. >> That is huge. >> If that's true, that's huge. >> That is long. True hiking trail. >> I've heard of a lot of trails, but Great Western Loop. Option B, Red Wing and Vibram both developed thick rubber soles to help workers avoid injury while working on shaking or vibrating machinery. >> Oh, okay. >> Option B, Red Wing and Vibram. >> So they started in the industrial environment, not in the outdoor. >> Not in the outdoor. >> Active outdoor environment. Okay. >> Option C, half of your trail mix will be consumed the night before the hike. And we are of course looking at David. >> Yes. >> I can neither confirm nor deny that I buy an extra bag. >> There's a rumor, there's a rumor that trail mix is so viscerally attractive to one of our show hosts that it is largely consumed. >> It doesn't make it beyond the the coverage where you stick each other. >> Yeah. >> So you're not one of the folks that just eat the M&M's. >> Wow. >> That would be me. >> No. >> That half of the trail mix is going to happen. >> Okay. So, drum roll please. >> The answer is actually option A. >> Oh, with the loop. >> Yeah. The Great Western Loop links together the Pacific Crest Trail, the P&W Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail, and the Grant Enchantment Trail, and the Arizona Trail. >> Oh, wow. Okay. >> Okay. >> That's a lot of trails to be linked together. >> Yeah. >> Many may argue for the Trans-Canada Trail, but significant parts of the TCT are waterways and designated high speed highways, and thus disqualify as a true hiking trail. >> Okay. We're splitting hairs. >> We did a lot of research on that. >> Yeah. >> We've done a lot of research on that. >> I love that. >> Did you know the vibram company was founded in Italy in 1937 by Vitaly Brahmin after a hiking accident killed six of his friends in 1935. Brahmin dedicated himself to creating a safe, modern hiking boot. These were an innovation building on the sturdy but affordable, good year welted rubber sold boots that companies like Red Wing Shoes had created the previous decade. >> Wow. Very interesting. >> Wow. >> Indeed. >> We did a lot of fun asking for being on the podcast. >> Yes. >> You bet. That was a lot of fun. >> Yeah, we had a lot of fun. >> Good. >> Don't forget to volunteer for City Hall for All. >> Oh, that will be fun too. >> Yes. >> And that does it for this week, my friends. You've been listening to This Week in Kirkland. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share. Special thanks to Anthony Girardi, Chris Peterson, and Victor Darentes for their Behind the Scenes magic. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Our next episode is September 12th. Until then, everyone. >> Connected Kirkland. >> Connected Kirkland. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] You