A tribute to Al Locke
In the April 2020 issue of Kirkland Lifestyle magazine I gave a well-deserved tribute to Al Locke, the first City Manager of Kirkland. The article draws heavily on a lengthy, very candid interview with Mr. Locke and with Richard “Dick” Shinstrom, a former city council member and insurance broker that I conducted in September, 2011. The article was also informed by shorter conversations with Mr. Shinstrom and with Bill Woods, former Kirkland Mayor, council member, and retired pharmacist.
It was truly my privilege to spend time with these men, whose vision in the 1960’s and ’70s brought today’s Kirkland into being. I hope the article provides some insight and inspiration about what hard work, dedication, and a little luck (in the form of good timing) can produce.