Mill Creek may have turned 21 in 2004, but one can make the case that 2006 was the year the city truly grew up.

Longtime residents can recall when Mill Creek was a small community nestled in the woods east of I-5, hidden away from urban sprawl and the problems that accompany it. But those problems finally hit Mill Creek in 2006 as suburban sprawl enveloped the city.

One example of growth-related problems was increased traffic noise for residents who live along Seattle Hill Road, a two-lane road that became a commuting route as more homes were built east of the city. With decibel levels along the road reaching hazardous levels during the morning and evening rush hours, the city of Mill Creek set aside funds to do a study of Seattle Hill traffic and what could be done to mitigate congestion and noise.

Another example was increased property crime, particularly in terms of burglaries, which hit record highs in 2006. Outcry over increased property crime led the city to propose increasing staff at the police department, a move that was supported by residents.

Not all the growth had bad consequences. Mill Creek Town Center continued to inch closer to completion, and several new shops and offices opened. The new businesses helped the city become more financially solvent, as sales and property tax revenues exceeded original expectation.

What follows is a month-by-month review of the stories and people that made news in 2006.

January

Donna Michelson was elected mayor and Terry Ryan mayor pro tem by their Mill Creek City Council peers during the Jan. 3 meeting. Michelson was elected on the first ballot, getting five votes. Ryan narrowly beat Mary Kay Voss for the mayor pro tem spot. Ryan had spent the previous six years as mayor while Michelson was mayor pro tem for the previous four years.

By a 3-2 vote along party lines, the Snohomish County Council approved going to an all-mail election on Jan. 4. The move had the support of Democratic County Executive Aaron Reardon.

A city census of the newly-annexed area showed it had a population of 2,690, a figure that is larger than four Snohomish County cities. The annexation pushed Mill Creek’s estimated population to an all-time high of 16,596.

Mike Hope, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Hans Dunshee for the state House of Representatives in 2004, announced a second bid for the Democratic incumbent’s House seat.

A Jan. 27 graffiti incident at the city’s skateboard park resulted in the closure of the facility for two weeks. Clean-up costs were an estimated $1,000.

The city of Mill Creek held a formal dedication for Cougar Park on Jan. 30. The park, located across the street from Mill Creek Elementary School, features European-style play equipment.

February

Two Everett School District measures easily passed during the Feb. 7 special election. The district’s maintenance and operations levy passed with more than 67 percent approval, while a $198.5 million bond package passed with approximately 63 percent of the vote. Both measures needed at least 60 percent yes votes to pass. The bond is aimed at alleviating school overcrowding in the growing Mill Creek area.

House of Bread, a bakery located in Mill Creek Town Center, got word on Feb. 10 that it had indeed set a Guinness World Record for the largest cinnamon roll ever baked. The giant pastry, which was made Oct. 15, weighed 246.5 pounds.

A free document shredding event in Mill Creek resulted in 10 tons of personal documents being destroyed. The Feb. 18 event was organized by Mayor Donna Michelson.

A falling tree chunk killed 60-year-old Carmel Elliot of Silver Firs on Feb. 23. A tree cutting crew was removing a tree behind the woman’s house in the 14300 block of 51st Avenue SE. when Elliot came out of her house and climbed a small set of stairs to where crews were working. Workers warned her to leave, but a 15-inch-long log fell 40 feet and struck her.

A group of developers visited the Mill Creek City Council on Feb. 28 and told the elected body of plans to build office buildings, condominiums and row houses on 45 acres west of McCollum Park. The group also said it may petition to be annexed into the city of Mill Creek at some point in the future.

March

Mill Creek police announced it would begin issuing tickets for parking violations in the newly annexed area of the city. The crackdown began March 15.

Fire District 7 firefighter Bill Ekse, who grew up in Mill Creek, set a Guinness world record for most vertical steps climbed in 24 hours, with an estimated 66,000 steps on a stair stepping machine on March 18-19.

The attempt, which took place at Central Market in Mill Creek Town Center, also raised $12,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. A friend of Ekse, Chris Pettersen of Mill Creek, died of cancer at age 24 in 1998.

Stevens Hospital announced it would cut up to 100 jobs by early May because of an unexpected drop in patient admissions.

A public forum on teenage drinking took place at Jackson High School on March 28. During the forum, Jackson principal Terry Cheshire said the school suspended 42 students during the 2004-2005 school year, and had done the same with 12 students to that point in the 2005-2006 year.

April

Willis Tucker Community Park opened to the public on April 1. The 84-acre park, located in the Silver Firs area east of Mill Creek, was opened in phases, with the first 27-acres opening April 1.

Workers from Pacific Concrete Construction used a crane to lift a three-story front wall for a new Town Center building on April 3.

The Mill Creek City Council agreed April 4 that building an access road to a second parking lot at the city library was the solution it wanted to pursue when it came to dealing with the problem of inadequate parking at the library. At the same meeting, the Council reaffirmed its opposition to A-board signs outside local businesses.

The Everett School district announced that construction on a new elementary school next to Gateway Middle School would begin in June.

Several volunteers gathered at Silver Crest Park to clear overgrown brush and debris during the city of Mill Creek’s Earth Day event on April 22.

The Mill Creek City Council unanimously approved lowering the speed limit on the Bothell-Everett Highway on April 25. The change made the speed limit 40 mph on the highway between 164th and 132nd streets SE.

Mill Creek resident Jodi Mitchell was arrested by Mill Creek police on 17 outstanding arrest warrants on April 18. All the warrants were related to unpaid fines and not going to court in regards to animals running loose in the city.

Democrats in the 44th Legislative District, which includes Mill Creek, voted to endorse Lillian Kaufer instead of Steve Hobbs in the state senate race against incumbent Dave Schmidt. Kaufer was a member of Citizens for a Better Mill Creek/Thomas Lake, a group that opposed a proposed Wal-Mart store on 132nd Street SE.

A 44-year-old Mill Creek-area man, William Douglas Lance, was arrested by Snohomish County Sheriff’s Deputies on April 27 in the suspicious death of his roommate, 51-year-old Darrell Wayne Plumb. Lance was convicted of second-degree robbery in 1995 and 1996, meaning if convicted of murder, he would be sent to prison for life without the possibility of parole under the state’s three-strikes law.

May

A 22-year-old Everett man, Tim Gorelyy, was killed May 2 when his motorcycle collided with the back of a truck at Bothell-Everett Highway and Seattle Hill Road.

Local opponents of a proposed Wal-Mart store, along with representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and National Organization for Women, hosted a press conference outside Mill Creek City Hall calling on the retail giant to improve safety at its stores. The May 9 press conference was also meant to announce a new online crime report in which 551 Wal-Mart stores nationwide were surveyed as to their crime rates, and then were compared to nearby Target stores. According to report proponents, the report showed that Wal-Mart stores have 400 percent more crime than Target stores. A Pacific Northwest Wal-Mart representative called the report “bogus,” and accused opponents of “cherry picking” the stores with the highest crime rates for the survey.

The Mill Creek City Council unanimously approved a ban on all tobacco products at the city’s Sports Park on May 9. The ban was a compromise, since the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended an outright ban on tobacco products on all the city’s parks and trails.

Martin Hudler, a Lake Oswego, Ore.-based developer, announced that he would donate $10,000 toward helping the Greater Mill Creek Senior Program get a site for and build a senior center. The surprise announcement came after senior program members turned out in force at the May 9 City Council meeting to urge the city to work with the senior program on the project. Hudler, who owns the LA Fitness building in Town Center, announced the pledge after all of the senior program members left the meeting.

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office detectives determined that a reported kidnapping attempt west of Mill Creek on April 10 was actually made up. Police said the girl concocted the story to avoid getting into trouble for being inside a vacant apartment.

A home burglary wave struck Mill Creek and surrounding areas, reaching its peak in early May, as eight burglaries were reported between May 1-15. The wave put Mill Creek on a record pace for home burglaries. Burglaries, however, slowed down in the ensuing weeks. Police also made several arrests of possible suspects in home burglaries. In addition, statistics released by the Mill Creek Police Department showed that auto theft and prowls continued to be a problem in the city, with both crimes reaching all-time highs.

The city of Mill Creek dedicated Hillside Park on May 19. The park, located in the Vineyards neighborhood, is 1.2 acres and includes a basketball hoop.

June

It was announced that Run of the Mill, an event in danger of perishing, would return for a 21st year, but under new, local sponsorship and as a benefit for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The Snohomish County Council honored Jackson High School’s state championship baseball team on June 7 and the Mill Creek City Council did the same June 13. That night, Mayor Donna Michelson declared July 1-8 as Jackson High School Baseball Team Week in Mill Creek.

A 41-year-old woman was raped by a white male in the 13500 block of North Creek Drive in the early morning hours of June 9. The suspect allegedly asked the victim for a cigarette, and when she went to get one, the suspect attacked her.

The Everett School District announced plans to trim its 2006-2007 budget by $2.6 million. Most of the savings were expected to be handled by cutting administrative, coaching and assistant principal positions.

Kathryn Nurre, 18, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle against the Everett School District and superintendent Carol Whitehead, claiming the district violated her right to free speech by banning the wind ensemble from playing “Ave Maria” at Jackson High School’s graduation ceremony. Nurre played alto saxophone in the wind ensemble, which traditionally has been allowed to play a song of its choosing at graduation. “Ave Maria” was banned because school officials thought the traditionally Catholic song was too religious for a school-sanctioned event.

On June 28, Mill Creek police arrested a 39-year-old Edmonds man on suspicion of burglary after a 14-year-old girl called 911 after the suspect allegedly kicked in the front door of her home.

July

A Silver Firs home was destroyed in a fire started by illegal fireworks on July 4. No one was injured, but the fire displaced a family of three.

For the first time in its history, the annual Meet Me In Mill Creek Festival was a two-day event, on July 8-9. The event featured a Corvette show on July 8, and a 10K and 5K walk on July 9. The festival also took place in Mill Creek Town Center for the first time.

A late surge of entries pushed the number of participants in the July 8 Run of the Mill to 450, nearly double the number of runners from the 2005 event. The 2006 Run, a benefit for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, raised more than $9,000.

A senior center was one of five projects not included for funding in the city of Mill Creek’s six-year capital facilities plan. The capital facilities committee decided against putting a senior center in the plan in part because no plans for a site were in place. The committee, however, suggested forming a City Council committee that would work with local seniors in their efforts to find and open a facility for a senior program.

The Everett School District broke ground for its 17th elementary school on July 10. The school is being built next to Gateway Middle School east of Mill Creek.

Merrill Gardens Retirement Community hosted an appreciation luncheon for Mill Creek police on July 14.

Thirty middle-school students and 13 adults from the Mill Creek area visited China from June 29 to July 11. The students toured a variety of sights and played basketball against Chinese teams. The trip was organized by Washington Cultural Exchange.

As filing for state legislative races closed on July 28, all three incumbents from the 44th Legislative District, which includes Mill Creek, were facing challengers in the November election. One race, that for state senate, was set to go to a primary election in September between Democrats Lillian Kaufer of Snohomish and Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens. In the First District, state Rep. Al O’Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace, faced a primary challenge from Terry Bartlett Buholm. State Rep. Mark Ericks, D-Bothell, was set to face political newcomer and Republican Mark Davies.

August

Hundreds of area families took part in a National Night Out event at McCollum Park on Aug. 1. The event, put on in part by the Mill Creek Police Department and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, featured plenty of police vehicles for children to explore.

A groundbreaking for a pedestrian bridge over Interstate 405 in the Canyon Park area of Bothell took place on Aug. 1. The bridge would allow commuters to catch busses at the southbound on-ramp onto I-405. Construction was expected to take one year.

A head-on collision killed Donald Totten Jr., 57, of Woodinville, on Aug. 4. The ensuing investigation by the Washington State Patrol closed the Bothell-Everett Highway south of Mill Creek for two hours.

A lawsuit by Edmonds-based developer The McNaughton Group accused Snohomish County of unfairly favoring another builder, Kirkland-based CamWest Development, Inc., in relation to developing acres of rural land southeast of Mill Creek. The lawsuit claimed county officials changed land rules in July so CamWest could develop up to 300 homes.

A traffic signal at 148th Street SE and 35th Avenue SE was turned on Aug. 24. The signal is located near Mill Creek Elementary School.

Teachers in the Everett School District approved a new three-year contract on Aug. 28 that awarded 4 percent raises for new and experienced teachers. The contract also included a provision stating that principals no longer could require teachers to turn in weekly lesson plans.

September

Residents in the city of Mill Creek received new recycling carts, capable of holding more recyclable items than the old bins, during the month. The new carts were one result of a re-negotiated contract between the city and Waste Management.

The United Way of Snohomish County honored Mill Creek resident Roger Bouck with its Spirit of Snohomish County award for his volunteer efforts during the last 40 years. Bouck has worked with several programs during his United Way volunteer career.

Mill Creek resident and state representative John Lovick was named to the executive committee of the Snohomish County chapter of the NAACP.

Jackson High School sophomores passed the 2006 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) at rates above state averages.

Gold Creek Community Church members came up short in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for most people wearing Groucho Marx masks at the same time. The church had 453 people take part in its Sept. 9 event, well short of the record of 1,437 people set by an Australian junior rugby club.

Employees of the city of Mill Creek, the Mill Creek Police Department and Fire District 7 conducted a brief remembrance for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the five-year anniversary of the attacks.

The Snohomish County Hearing Examiner ruled Sept. 15 that a proposed Wal-Mart store in Mill Creek will need to submit an environmental impact study regarding traffic and stormwater before construction could begin. Representatives of Citizens for a Better Mill Creek, a grassroots group with union backing, called the ruling a temporary victory. Later, Wal-Mart asked the Hearing Examiner to reconsider the ruling requiring the impact statement.

In the Sept. 19 primary election, Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens defeated Lillian Kaufer of Snohomish to get the Democratic nod to challenge incumbent state Senator Dave Schmidt of Mill Creek. In other races, state Rep. Al O’Brien of Mountlake Terrace easily defeated Terry Buholm in the Democratic primary to win a sixth two-year term. No one from any other party filed to challenge O’Brien.

The Mill Creek City Council on Sept. 26 unanimously voted to pass a resolution stating its opposition to Initiative 933, a citizen initiative addressing government regulation of private property.

Snohomish County Superior Court judge David Kurtz ruled that members of the Mill Creek Country Club can purchase the private golf course for $4 million and an additional amount to buy out the management contract with Forest Valley Golf, Inc.

A group of approximately 50 Jackson High School students gathered at the school’s flagpole the morning of Sept. 27 to take part in a national prayer event called See You at the Pole. The Jackson High event was organized by students who attend Gold Creek Community Church.

Elizabeth Bennett of Mill Creek won $10,000 for her recipe for lamb burgers, called Opa! Burgers. Bennett took first place in the non-beef category of Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger contest on Sept. 30 in Napa Valley, Calif.

The Sept. 30 Friends of the Mill Creek Library’s fall used book sale raised $1,314.50. All proceeds benefited programs at the library.

October

On Oct. 24, the City Council unanimously approved changes to Mill Creek’s noise laws that give the police department the power to get a court order to deal with chronic violators. The move also set fines at $100 per incident.

A report issued by the Puget Sound Regional Council on Oct. 18 showed that Mill Creek was one of the fastest growing cities in the four-county region. As of April 1, according to the report, the city had a population of 17,460, up from 11,525 in the 2000 Census.

Jackson High School’s four-year graduation rate rose slightly to 78.1 percent of students in 2004-05, according to a report issued by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Jackson graduated 77.2 percent of students in four years in 2003-2004. Jackson’s numbers were well above average for the Everett School District, which saw 62.6 percent graduating in four years in 2004-05.

A 41-year-old Brier man died Oct. 27 when his motorcycle hit a median on the Bothell-Everett Highway.

The Everett and Northshore school districts were among 12 districts statewide that went to trial Oct. 30 over special education funding. The districts sued the state two years earlier in regards to special education funding. Part of the lawsuit’s job was to show that the state wasn’t fully funding education as the state constitution requires.

November

Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, knocked off incumbent state Sen. Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek, in the Nov. 7 general election. Hobbs’ win, combined with wins by incumbent representatives Hans Dunshee and John Lovick, made the 44th Legislative District all Democrat. In other election night results, Mark Ericks easily retained his state House seat out of the 1st District, and Initiative 933, a property rights initiative, was rejected.

The Snohomish County Hearing Examiner on Nov. 8 upheld an earlier ruling insisting Wal-Mart conduct an environmental impact statement on traffic and storm water in regards to a proposed Mill Creek location on 132nd Street SE.

The Mill Creek City Council unanimously re-stated its opposition to raising property taxes during its Nov. 14 meeting. Although no formal vote took place, all seven Council members said they were opposed to raising property taxes and the city’s emergency medical services levy, largely because the city was in good financial shape. Two weeks later, on Nov. 28, Council members unanimously passed two ordinances that did not increase property and emergency medical services taxes for 2007.

Also on Nov. 14, a public hearing on the 2007-08 budget turned into a show of support for the city’s police department. Two speakers expressed support for a proposal to add significant personnel to the department, in response to large increases in property crime.

Ha Ngoc Tran, who owns New Top Nails in Mill Creek, was arrested by Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Nov. 21 as a suspect in the murder of his wife, Bich D Mai. The couple lived just east of Mill Creek, and Mai told her family she planned to divorce Tran. Also arrested was Tran’s older brother, Son Ngoc Tran. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner determined that Mai died of a blunt impact to the head. Ha Tran was later released from jail after his older brother confessed to the murder on Dec. 14.

A Mill Creek man wasn’t seriously injured after a lightning strike on a fir tree sent electricity through the ground to the man as he was getting out of his car. The incident occurred the afternoon of Nov. 21 in the 2400 block of 137th Place SE

A winter storm dumped a few inches of snow in the Mill Creek area Nov. 26 and 27. Because of the snow, the Everett School District canceled classes from Nov. 26-28, and basketball practices for the city of Mill Creek’s Parks and Recreation Youth Basketball League were also postponed. Several traffic accidents took place in and around the city because of icy streets.

Nell Noble, a resident of Merrill Gardens Mill Creek, turned 104 years old on Nov. 27. Merrill Gardens staff and residents hosted a party for Noble, who is the oldest resident at the retirement home.

December

Mill Creek police officer Andrew Bass was stabbed in the arm and two other officers injured during a Dec. 3 scuffle with Stephen McClane, a Port Hadlock man who was staying with a relative in Mill Creek. Officers responded to the house in the 2800 block of 132nd Street SE in response to a domestic dispute. Officers were searching McClane for weapons when he pulled a three-inch knife out and swung at Bass, cutting his upper arm.

Residents of the Stonehedge and Webster’s Pond neighborhoods east of the city began a petition drive for annexation on Dec. 6.

A 28-year-old Everett man was stabbed in the back during a house party in Mill Creek on Dec. 9.

More than 50 residents of Merrill Gardens Mill Creek retirement community became ill with what is commonly called stomach flu in late November and early December.

The Mill Creek City Council unanimously approved the two-year city budget on Dec. 12. The plan includes funding for more positions for the police department and to conduct a study of Seattle Hill Road traffic.

Gold Creek Community Church hosted its annual Snow Day on Dec. 9, with thousands of area residents coming to play in snow that was trucked in from Snoqualmie Pass. Eight trucks pulling 16 trailers hauled in the white stuff.

A windstorm with gusts up to 75 mph hit Mill Creek on Dec. 14. The storm knocked down trees throughout the city. Power was also knocked out in a large swath of the area, and Mill Creek Town Center was without power on Dec. 15, a Friday, resulting in most businesses being closed. Schools also were closed as a result of the storm.