The gateway to Kirkland will look especially beautiful this Fourth of July, thanks to Lee Johnson Chevrolet and a man named Adrian.

More about Lee Johnson in a minute – first I want to tell you about Adrian.

Adrian Ionescu moved to Kirkland five years ago – from Romania. He and his wife Claudia brought their two children to start a new life in America. This May 17 they passed their citizenship exam, and on July 4, they will be sworn in as US citizens. Adrian says, “We are very lucky because July 4 is the most special moment to become a US citizen and it’s a day that we will never forget.”

Adrian’s first job interview in the United States was with the City of Kirkland Public Works Department, where he was hired as a seasonal laborer. “I knew only a few words in English,” he recounts. “Wendy Kremer and her wonderful team were like a family for me – they taught me the first steps in this big and wonderful country.”

Claudia got a job at the Bank of America in downtown Kirkland, where she still works. Their daughter is now a student at the University of Washington and works at the Houghton PCC. Their son will be a 7th grader at Kirkland Junior High in the fall. Adrian says of his children: “We hope that by coming to the USA, they will have better opportunities for their future.”

Adrian now works full time at Bellevue College and runs his business, Adrian’s Landscaping, evenings and weekends. “I hope one day to go back and work full time for the City of Kirkland to help beautify Kirkland’s landscapes. I love being part of Kirkland.”

Two years ago, the Highlands neighborhood wanted to clean up the off-ramp triangles on the west side of 405 at NE 85th. The triangles were overgrown and litter-strewn, and the DOT could no longer afford to maintain them. Thanks to the City of Kirkland’s neighborhood matching grant program, the Highlands had money to pay for mowing. The DOT provided a permit, and the City recommended Adrian to do the work.

When the neighborhood ran out of money, they began looking for business sponsors to pay for mowing. Meanwhile, Adrian continued to mow the triangles for free. He says “I take care of them because I enjoy seeing them looking good and I hope the people passing by are enjoying them too.” He also does it out of a deep respect for his former City of Kirkland boss, who recently retired. “Wendy was worried how bad the triangles looked before,” says Adrian. “She recommended me to do this job and I promised her I’d take care of them.”

So here’s the part about Lee Johnson Chevrolet. The triangles on the east side of 405 are also overgrown, and Lee Johnson has offered to pay Adrian to mow them. When Adrian found out, he couldn’t wait to get started. “This way,” he said, “they will look great at the 4th of July celebration.”

So the next time you drive by one of the 405 off-ramp triangles, and you see a man mowing or trimming or picking up litter, be sure to smile and say thanks to Lee Johnson and Adrian for helping make Kirkland the beautiful place we love to live.

And if your business would like to help pay for mowing the west side triangles, please let me know.

Longtime Kirkland resident Karen Story is the Communications Chair of the Highlands Neighborhood. A technical writer by day, she spends her free time working on neighborhood projects, raising two teenage boys, and singing in a bluegrass and swing band called Back Burner.