🌱 Patch AM: Kirkland remembers Judge Carolyn Dimmick’s pathbreaking decade on its bench

Good morning Kirkland! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Kirkland remembers Judge Carolyn Dimmick’s pathbreaking decade on its bench
• Why a Kirkland writer says tax law can’t tame corporate debt
• How Kirkland skiers are taking advantage of Highway 2’s fast reopening

Also on today's calendar: Visit a K–12 Private School Where Joyful Learning Delivers Results | Open House and 6 more events.

Today's riddle: I got fired from the M&M factory. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Cloudy with a little rain, with a high of 54 and low of 46 degrees.
• Sunday: A brief shower or two, temps: high: 49, low: 40.
• Monday: Cloudy with a shower or two, with a high of 46 and low of 37 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Trailblazing Washington jurist Carolyn Dimmick dies at 96 (spokesman.com) — Kirkland readers may recall Judge Carolyn Dimmick’s decade on the local district court bench before she rose to the state Supreme Court and then the federal judiciary. The 96-year-old trailblazer, remembered for her sharp legal mind and many firsts for women in Washington’s courts, died Dec. 24 in Seattle, with a memorial service planned later this month.
   

• Why It's So Hard to Battle Corporate Debt with Policy (northwestern.edu) — A Kirkland-based freelance writer explains why a major federal tax change meant to discourage corporate borrowing hasn’t actually slowed companies from taking on debt. Researchers found lenders absorbed much of the added cost so their capital wouldn’t sit idle, suggesting policymakers must also address the supply of loans if they truly want to reduce corporate leverage.
   

• Highway 2 reopens between Skykomish and Stevens Pass after flood clean-up (komonews.com) — Kirkland skiers can once again reach Stevens Pass easily now that US‑2 between Skykomish and the pass has reopened after weeks of storm damage repairs. Westside access resumed New Year’s Day at 6 a.m., bringing a big surge of visitors and much-needed business for the mountain community, though WSDOT still urges drivers to avoid using the route for full cross-state travel.
   

📸 Around Kirkland

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Kirkland

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday January 10

• Visit a K–12 Private School Where Joyful Learning Delivers Results | Open House
  BASIS Independent Bothell, 21540 30th Dr SE, Bothell
  10:00 am

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Monday January 5

• Toddler Story Time
  Kirkland Library , 308 Kirkland Avenue , Kirkland
  10:30 am
• Talk Time: English Conversation Practice
  Bothell Library , 18215 98th Avenue NE , Bothell
  1:15 pm
• Cheerleading Class ~ 6 Mondays~ 1/5 to 2/9/26 ~ 4:30 to 5:15pm
  Friendship Academy , 1206 N 185th St , Shoreline
  4:30 pm
• Winter Cooking Class ~ 7 Mondays ~ January 5 thru February 16th~ 6pm to 8pm - CLASS IS FULL
  Ronald United Methodist Church , 17839 Aurora Ave N , Shoreline
  6:00 pm
• 7 PM Twelfth Night Ball
  The Feather Ballroom , 801 1st Street , Snohomish
  7:00 pm

Tuesday January 6

• Family Story Time
  Kingsgate Library , 12315 NE 143rd Street , Kirkland
  1:00 pm

Wednesday January 7

• Middle School and Teen Craft Club
  Kingsgate Library , 12315 NE 143rd Street , Kirkland
  1:30 pm
• Asuntos de Matemáticas / Math Matters
  Bothell Library , 18215 98th Avenue NE , Bothell
  2:30 pm

📣 Kirkland Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday January 3

• Journaling the Garden
  Sharp Cabin , 12001 Main St. , Bellevue
  9:00 am
• Intro to the Cricut
  Bellevue Library , 1111 110th Avenue NE , Bellevue
  11:30 am
• Youth Nature Journaling Club
  The Aaron Education Center at the Bellevue Botanical Garden , 12001 Main St , Bellevue
  12:00 pm

Sunday January 4

• Tutors at Redmond Library (Study Zone)
  Redmond Library , 15990 NE 85th Street , Redmond
  3:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Kirkland PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• SD Framing — (425) 628-1326
  @sd.framing Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates!
• Peony Massage — (425) 406-4698
  📣 𝟒𝟎% 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐬sage
• Crystal Carpet Cleaning & Restoration, Inc. — (425) 649-0908
  Celebrating 35 years serving our community
• Sodo Pizza — (425) 588-0963
  New Pizzeria in Town!
• Primrose School of Redmond — (425) 800-6463
  Child Care , Day Care , Preschool, Opening Soon

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Our black dog, a very friendly Flat Coated Retriever, named Baldur, went off roaming tonight.
  His GPS collar is out of battery, unfortunately. Please let me know if you see him. He is very friendly. (Nextdoor Finn Hill)
• This is the Shitsu that’s been roaming the neighborhood.
  Please reply or post if you’ve seen her / him. Thank you! (Nextdoor Juanita)

• Jacksons Food Stores, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Cashier in Kirkland. Apply here.
• Northwest University posted a job opening for Adjunct Mental Health Nursing Instructor in Kirkland. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Kirkland here.

🗞 Nearby News

Redmond

• Precious metals tax to hit Washington businesses (komonews.com)
• SDSU football 2026 portal tracker: Aztecs' comings and goings (sandiegouniontribune.com)
• Microsoft Previews Windows 11 Framework for Third-Party AI Agents (technobezz.com)

Bothell

• Dietitians Are Begging People Over 50 To Get Enough of This Mineral in Their Diet (parade.com)

Bellevue

Ok Kirkland! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I kept throwing out all the W’s.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook