Kirkland honors "hometown" team

Downtown Kirkland has been infected with Seahawks fever.

It's a hometown thing.

"After all, they were our team first," said Kellie Jordan with the Kirkland Downtown Association. Indeed, the first Seahawks team headquarters and practice field were at the old Lake Washington Shipyards, today's Carillon Point — now site of an office complex, several restaurants and the luxurious Woodmark Hotel. And although they're known as the Seattle Seahawks, the team's headquarters are still in Kirkland, on the southeast corner of Northwest University off of 108th Avenue Northeast.

Jordan is the dynamo behind the city's 12th Man Fan Festival that kicks off with a parade at noon today. Marchers include the Seahawks' drum corps Blue Thunder, Seattle Sea Gals and the Seahawk Express, a decorated RV.

She's also the cheerleader for everything blue, green and silver in town. Last weekend Jordan and her sister and mother, Terri Fletcher and Bonnie Fletcher, led the volunteers who tied blue and white ribbons around statues, hung balloons on every corner and ran a Seahawks flag up the pole at the corner of Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street.

Loyalties are visible throughout Kirkland's downtown, where Jordan is distributing dozens of posters that read, "Seahawks is the only language spoken here."

One store, Linda's Designer Consignment on Main Street, has devoted an entire window to clothes in blue, green and silver, the Seahawks' colors.

12th Man Fan Festival


When, where: Noon today, downtown Kirkland.

Parade route: Starts at Lakeshore Plaza by Marina Park, to Central Way, Lake Street, Kirkland Avenue and back to Marina Park for rally with the Sea Gals.

Crystal Craig of Bothell painted the team logo and "Go Seahawks" on the windows of Hector's restaurant, frequented by many of the football players. Kicker Josh Brown watched her work and teased her about the Seahawks' symbol being backward. (The positioning was on purpose — so it would be right when viewed from outside the restaurant on Lake Street.)

Chris Nelson, executive chef of Hector's, will be launching Seahawks specials today through Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5.

They include a burger with a "steer'ler" beef patty covered with bleu cheese and avocado, imitating what he hopes will be the Seahawks smothering the Steelers. The bar will feature Blue Thunder shots that include a sprinkling of silver dust, a Bloody Steeler (Bloody Mary) served with black olives, and a Seahawks WhoopAss Bomb made with the popular WhoopAss energy drink from Jones Sodas with liqueurs to turn it Seahawks green.

At Realitycoffee.com at the corner of Park Lane and Lake Street, loyal fans will be drinking a Seahawks mocha (with a hint of mint) or a Seahawks latte, said owner Renee Kappes. The coffee-house crew plans to dress in Seahawks jerseys and hats for the parade today.

Shawn Field at Central Tavern in Kirkland said the bar will be serving a Seahawks martini, layered with blue and green liqueurs.

All of this is music to Terri Fletcher's ears.

"We've waited forever for this," she said.

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com