The Egg Hunt

is coming up

The annual Edmonds Egg Hunt is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 19 at City Park, Third Avenue S. and Howell Street.

Children can meet the Easter Bunny and hunt for the magical gold-numbered eggs to win special prizes. Those who come are asked to bring a non-perishable donation for the food bank and their own Easter basket.

Parents can take pictures while children hunt. Egg hunts are held in five areas for different age groups.

The hunt for children ages ages 4-10begins at 10 a.m. on the playfield. The hunt for children ages 0-1 begins at 10 a.m. at the wading pool. The hunt for children ages 2-3 begins at 10:15 on the playground.

The event is sponsored by Radio Shack, the Edmonds Police Youth Services Unit, the Edmonds Fire Department, the Edmonds Rotary clubs, and the city of Edmonds Parks and Recreation Department.

For more information call the parks department at 425-771-0230.

City Hall will

have a book fair

The city of Edmonds will host a book fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at City Hall, 121 Fifth Ave. N.

Five percent of the proceeds benefit United Way. There will be new books, CDs, and gift items just in time for Easter. Everyone is welcome.

For more information call the city at 425-775-2525.

Council opposes

legal video slots

The Edmonds City Council recently passed a resolution urging the state Legislature and governor to oppose expanded gambling. The resolution, sponsored by Council member Dave Orvis, specifically targeted House Bill 1948, a bill that would legalize video slot machines.

Orvis also cited his opposition to Senate Bill 6009, a bill legalizing instant keno, in his comments for the resolution.

“First it’s slots, now instant keno, our legislators need to understand that Edmonds’ citizens do not want expanded gambling in their community,” Orvis said.

The resolution also came with the endorsement of Citizens Against Gambling Expansion (CAGE).

The resolution passed 4-2, with Orvis, Dave Earling, Michael Plunkett, and Richard Marin voting yes and Deanna Dawson and Jeff Wilson voting no. Lora Petso abstained from the vote.

Join the Silver

Haired Congress

The National Silver Haired Congress is taking applications to represent the state’s First and Second congressional districts in its organization.

The Silver Haired Congress advocates, educates and brings awareness of senior- related issues to organizations, individuals, Congress people and constituents. Each state’s delegation is made up of two “silver senators” and the same number of representatives as the state has in the U.S. Congress.

Participants must be 60 years of age or older and American citizens who are registered to vote in their district of residence.

For more information, contact Alvin Rutledge at 425-776-7130, or at P.O. Box 6011, Edmonds, Wash. 98026.

Briefs can be sent to millcreek@heraldnet.com or mailed to 4303 198th St. SW, Lynnwood, Wash. 98036. E-mail is preferred. Please include contact name with area code for publication in the newspaper. Briefs are printed on a space-available basis.City Council meets next on April 8

The next Mill Creek City Council meeting is at 7:30 p.m. April 8 at Mill Creek City Hall, 15728 Mill Creek Blvd.

In a 6 p.m. study session before the regular council meeting, the Council will discuss Mill Creek East, a 225-lot single family subdivision located at the west side of 35th Ave. SE, south of Silver Crest Drive and north of 144th St. SE. The planning commission is recommending the city approve a resolution allowing the development to move forward.

City Council meetings are the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in Mill Creek City Hall Council Chambers. For a council packet or other city information, visit the city’s web site at www.cityofmillcreek.com or call 425-745-1891. Lovick honored for seat belt law

Rep. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, was honored before his fellow law enforcement officers 8 a.m. Wednesday April 2, at the Marriott Sea-Tac Airport Hotel, 3201 S. 176th St. in Seattle, for his legislative efforts to promote traffic safety in Washington, particularly his work to gain passage of the primary enforcement seat belt law.

Lovick will receive the Seat Belt Champion Award from the Meharry-State Farm Alliance, a partnering effort between Meharry Medical College of Nashville, Tennessee, a historically black medical school, and State Farm Insurance Companies to advance public policy initiatives such as passage of primary seat belt laws to increase use of auto passenger restraints, particularly among African Americans.

The award was scheduled for presentation at the annual 3-Flags Conference of law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission is hosting this year’s conference.

The seat-belt primary enforcement law combined with the Click it or Ticket public awareness campaign have elevated Washington’s seat belt use rate to the highest in the nation at 93 percent.

Second annual Rec fair April 26

Mark your calendars to bring family and friends for demonstrations, food and fun at the second annual Greater Mill Creek Recreation Sports and Fitness Fair 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Representatives from more than 40 local organizations — both private and commercial recreation providers — will be present in one convenient location. The event is sponsored by the city of Mill Creek, the Mill Creek Rotary Club and the Everett School District. Admission is free. For more information, call 425-745-1891. Bothell saves taxpayer dollars

In an effort to save thousands of taxpayer dollars, the city of Bothell Public Works Department designed and constructed its new Decant and Material Drying Facility, a facility that detains liquid such as storm and wastewater collected through maintenance activities, and allows suspended pollutants in the liquid to settle prior to discharge into the sanitary sewer for treatment. The city accomplished this by using internal talent, resources and partnering with the Northshore Utility District.

The Decant Facility cost approximately $35,000, which is tens of thousand dollars less than it would have cost had the city outsourced design and construction.

The Decant Facility began full operation in March and is located at a City of Bothell Public Works Shop Facility, 17555 Brickyard Road. It used by the city of Bothell and Northshore Utility District.

Prior to construction of this facility, the city was hampered in its ability to maintain sanitary sewer and stormwater facilities in a cost-effective manner, disposal of the materials not having been processed through a decant facility is costly, and city officials estimate annual savings in terms of disposal costs, staff and equipment time to approach $20,000 depending on system maintenance needs.

The Decant Facility and drying bins are designed to provide a separation process where water and moisture are removed from the solids collected as a result cleaning and maintenance of storm and waste water conveyance systems.

The process consists of covered containment, material handling and distribution, material screening, floatable and non-suspended material separation, suspended material separation via detention, automated process control, as well as monitoring, testing and maintenance. Swim club offers new options

The Mill Creek Swim Club has announced two new membership options – family memberships for $38 per month and single memberships for $30 per month.

To keep the club’s quiet and uncrowded atmosphere, the number of memberships is limited – those interested in joining are encouraged to do so quickly.

The club features a six-lane 25-yard pool with diving board, hot tub, and programs including step and water aerobics, tae kwon do, swimming lessons, and pool and room rentals. In the last year, the locker rooms have undergone a $100,000 renovation, and new exercise equipment has been added. Membership is open to all, not just members of the Mill Creek Community.

The Mill Creek Swim Club is located at 15622 Country Club Drive in Mill Creek. For more information call club manager Marty McAndrews at 425-745-3474 or visit the Club’s website at www.swimmillcreek.comCounty events guide out now

The Snohomish County Tourism Bureau’s 2003 Spring – Summer Calendar of Events is now available. The new calendar features events, fairs, festivals, performing and visual arts, music, museums, crafts, markets and attractions from April through September.

For a free copy of the calendar visit your local chamber of commerce, visitor information center or public library, or call 425-348-5802 for a location nearest you. Or download the entire calendar by visiting the Tourism Bureau’s web site at www.snohomish.org

Hearing on tax plan

for police, fire

A public hearing on a plan to ask Edmonds voters next fall for an increase in property taxes to avoid further cuts in the city police and fire departments is scheduled for the City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 8.

The items that would be included in the “levy lid lift,” as it is called, would be from among programs and positions that were nearly cut for this year but wound up being funded, and from among those that received the axe. The items restored this year could be cut next year without the extra funding, city officials have said.

Possible items for funding in the police department under the levy lid lift include two police officers and the Crime Prevention Unit, all of which were targeted for cutting in 2003 but were restored. Other possible items under the lid lift include an animal control/parking enforcement officer that was cut for this year, an administrative support position, the school resource officer and radio dispatch cost increases.

Positions nearly cut in the fire department but restored include three firefighter/EMTs and the fire inspector. Other possible items for the lid lift include a new firefighter, administrative support assistant and firefighter/paramedic training.

Fourth of July

needs funding help

The Greater Edmonds Chamber of Commerce is seeking donations to fill an $11,000 gap in funds to pay for security for the Edmonds Fourth of July Celebration.

Funding for the security, historically provided by the city of Edmonds, was cut from the 2003 budget due to revenue reductions.

Collection locations are being set up at downtown businesses, said chamber director Chris Guitton. Donations may currently be made at the City Hall front desk, 121 Fifth Avenue N.; the chamber office next door; the chamber’s Log Cabin across the street; the police department at 250 Fifth Avenue N., and Abarim Computers at Five Corners.

The fireworks, parades and other events cost about $30,000 per year, including security, Guitton said.

For more information call the chamber office at 425-670-1496.

Length of service

awards given

Sixteen city of Edmonds employees were recognized for their length of service to the city the annual Mayor’s Employee Meeting held at City Hall March 28.

Debbie Smith, youth services, and Mike Stark, information services, were honored for 25 years of service, and Jim Roberts, engineering division, has provided dedicated service to the city for 30 years. Others who were honored are:

Those serving 20 years are Fred Bonallo, police department; Jim Guthrie, police; Jeff Jones, police; Jim Nordquist, treatment plant; Dave Sittauer, public works.

Those serving 15 years are Renee McRae, parks and recreation, and Joel Woods, fire department.

Those serving 10 years are Kris Gillespie, parks and recreation; Tim Harris, public works; Brett Kuhn, fire; Viv Myers, treatment plant; Rich Romero, parks and rec, and Rod Sebers, treatment plant.

Also recognized by Mayor Gary Haakenson were new hires, retirees, and those with perfect attendance in the previous year. Linda Carl, senior executive assistant to the mayor, was honored for outstanding service to fellow employees and the community for 2002.

The awards portion of the meeting was followed by a chili cook-off, with eight teams providing homemade chili donated by staff. People’s Choice was awarded to the engineering division, Best Presentation was awarded to the Municipal Court, and the Mayor’s Choice was awarded to the City Clerk’s office.

Quilter makes

semi-finals

An Edmonds-area quilter’s work will compete for a share of more than $100,000 in prize money in the 2003 American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show &Contest being held April 23-26 in Paducah, Ky.

Patricia M. Goffette’s quilt, “Polar Prowler” has been chosen to join 419 others in the annual competition, which will choose 52 best-in-class quilts from around the world during the event, now in its 19th year. The quilted work measures 51 inches wide by 71 inches long and represents hundreds of quilter-hours of work.

“Polar Prowler” was chosen from an initial field of 849 quilts. From this point on, the work will compete against others within its category. Three quilting authorities will judge this “best-of-the-best” group in the weeks prior to the opening of show. The individual quilt named best of show will garner the Hancock’s of Paducah Best of Show award and an $18,000 cash prize. In addition, the Best of Show quilt will earn a permanent space in the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society.

For more information on the American Quilter’s Society, call 270-898-7903.

32nd District

Demos meet

The 32nd Legislative District Democrats will meet Wednesday, from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 9 at the American Legion Hall, 14521 17th Ave. NE in Shoreline.

The district Democrats meet the second Wednesday of each month. For more information, call 206-362-3070.