Originally published Saturday, March 1, 1997

By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

The city has a number of active neighborhood groups, including the Houghton Community Council, one of just three such councils in the state that have veto rights over neighborhood land-use issues.

Rose Hill residents, who live east of I-405, are just as active. In 1988, when Overlake Christian Church -- one of the largest churches in the state -- considered expanding, the neighborhood led the resistance.

When the dust settled, the church elders had decided to move. They bought 27 acres in Redmond and will begin moving this summer, Executive Pastor Tim Avery says.

"Our first choice would have been to stay," Avery says, "but the City Council at the time would not allow it. There was just no support for that."

Kirkland parents also have a good reputation among teachers for taking an active role in their kids' education. Stuart Jennings and his wife, Jan Ng, send their two children to Community School, one of four public alternative schools.

Parents must volunteer at least three hours a week either at the school or on its behalf, says Principal Lynn Shebilske. The result is a wonderful collaboration between parents, students, teachers and administrators, she says.

One parent, a surgeon, recently taught a science "exploration" class on the anatomy of the human eye. Another led a class on ethnic music, using an aboriginal instrument from Australia, says Jennings.

Bringing parents into the classrooms enriches the learning, and it strengthens the ties between parents, kids and the community, says Jennings, who turned down a recent job offer on the East Coast. "Where on Earth would we find a school like this?" he asks.

Continued:

• Transformation from hamlet to urban village is under way
• Area has enhanced its small-town appeal
• 'Condo' is key word for city's future
• Blurring the lines between art and commerce
• Outside downtown, Kirkland wears many face