From the weather to politics, 2007 was an eventful year in Mill Creek. Here’s a look back at the past 12 months as the city gets ready to launch into 2008:
January
Police department has trouble finding officer candidates
All it took was a couple of ride-alongs with a Seattle police officer to help Steve Smith discover his destiny.
He was working in a group home with abused children when he got a first-hand glance at life as a police officer.
“There was a lot of stuff I liked about my job,” Smith said. “I came to work, I worked with people, I helped people do a lot of problem solving. When I rode along with my friend I saw that he did a lot of the same things I did, in addition to the police work. It looked like a fun career.”
It took Smith about a year after he first applied to get hired by the Mill Creek Police Department. During that time, he was subjected to a background check that included a criminal records search and interviews with his friends and family. Mill Creek even checked his credit report.
Once he passed all those requirements, he was hired and was off to the state police academy, where he finished first in his class. He’s now patrolling Mill Creek on the graveyard shift.
However, people like Smith, who can meet the high expectations demanded by police agencies, are becoming harder and harder for local departments to find.
Mill Creek has three officer openings, and it’s not the only one with positions available.
A survey of eight police agencies in South Snohomish and North King counties shows that, as of mid-January, only Lake Forest Park is fully staffed. The number of openings range from one each at the Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Brier departments to 25 with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Winter weather keeps police, public works hustling
When the snow started falling last Wednesday, Jan. 10, the cars started slipping and sliding and local police responded to plenty of accidents, a condition that continued through the weekend and into this week.
In all, Mill Creek police responded to 20 accidents from Jan. 10-15, a period that saw temperatures stay around the freezing mark and snow fall on Jan. 13 and 16.
In the first two hours of the initial storm, which hit around 3 p.m. Jan. 10, Mill Creek police responded to six accidents in a two-hour span, five of which were on the Bothell-Everett Highway. The accidents kept the two officers on duty busy during that time.
Two minor injuries were reported from the initial slate of accidents. That came when a teenage boy and a passenger were injured when the motorcycle the boy was driving went down in the snow.
Problems with ice on the roads continued into Thursday, Jan. 11, a sunny day when temperatures barely passed the freezing mark. The city had to close Mill Creek Road at the Bothell-Everett Highway shortly before 10:30 a.m. when a Community Transit bus and several cars were unable to get up the steep grade. Crews sanded the road twice during the day, but the road remained closed.
Mill Creek police responded to four accidents on Jan. 11. No injuries were reported, but icy conditions were the reported cause of all the accidents.
Protect-a-pet event gets support from mayor, public
Bentley probably didn’t realize that the sharp pain that made him yelp could someday bring him home safely.
Nonetheless, Bentley’s cries drew a round of “oh” and “ah” from his owner, Tom Rollins, and the veterinary assistants who injected an identity microchip into Bentley and his brother, Doozie. Even after the needle was out, Bentley trembled despite the gentle petting of Rollins and his daughter-in-law, Lori Rollins.
Bentley and Doozie, both male bichon frisés, were among 74 dogs and cats implanted with identity microchips during the city of Mill Creek’s first Protect-A-Pet microchipping event on Saturday, Jan. 20.
The three-hour event, spearheaded by Mayor Donna Michelson, sought to get more pets licensed with the city and provide a means to help pets return home faster if they got lost and picked up by local police. In those cases, pets that aren’t quickly identified get taken to the Everett Animal Shelter.
February
War protest grows as demonstrators line Bothell Way
Perhaps the biggest sign that local popular sentiment favors withdrawing U.S. soldiers from Iraq came in the form of a blaring horn of a Hummer, a blast that had enough force to press against the chest of demonstrators lined up along Bothell Way.
The show of support from a driver of a vehicle stereotypically associated with the pro-war faction brought smiles to some of the dozens of protesters. They were people from throughout South Snohomish and North King counties who protested President Bush’s proposed troop buildup, a plan announced during his recent State of the Union Address.
The group regularly protests the war on Saturdays at the intersection of Bothell Way and Ballinger Way in Lake Forest Park, but on Saturday, Jan. 27, the protests were infused with a new sense of meaning. Several planned to go into downtown Seattle to join in a massive anti-war rally, one of several around the nation on Saturday aimed at changing administration policy.
“We definitely should not escalate (the war),” said Adelaide Logus of Thrashers Corner, who knows someone whose son is flying a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq. “We go about our business as usual but our sons are dying, our daughters are dying, Iraqis are dying.”
March
Subdivisions to put hundreds of homes near North Road
A walk along Gravenstein and Clover roads and through Rhody Ridge County Park seems like a peaceful stroll through a neighborhood where urban amenities like sidewalks and light poles are nowhere to be found. But there are signs — literally — that those developments are coming.
The signs are actual signs posted by the Snohomish County Planning Department alerting residents of more than 50 homes planned for a pair of subdivisions in a neighborhood where drainage ditches still parallel streets.
And that’s not all — 150 homes are planned in three phases for an area at the south end of Clover Road west of Mill Creek, bringing the total neighborhood impact to more than 200 homes in the next few years.
“The type of development is my concern,” said Becky Johnson, an area resident. “They’re so compact.”
New elementary school gets a name
Forest View Elementary is the name the Everett School District board approved for the new elementary being built at the site of Gateway Middle School. The school, formerly known as Elementary 17, will open in September 2007.
Students, parents and others suggested names this winter. Brenda Fuglevand, planning principal, and members of the naming committee narrowed the field to four. The board chose Forest View at its meeting March 13.
New middle school boundaries approved
The Everett School Board has approved new middle school boundaries. All district families affected by the middle school boundary changes will get postcards and a call from the district. The cards designate which middle school they will attend in fall 2008 and explain two variance options.
Hundreds of students who now live in Gateway Middle School attendance boundaries will attend Eisenhower Middle School in September 2008. Some of the 442 students affected by the proposal attend Gateway and others attend Silver Lake, Penny Creek and Monroe Elementary schools.
The reason for the change is that the south end of the district is growing.
April
Seattle Hill Road residents form to battle traffic noise
A movement by homeowners to alleviate noise on Seattle Hill Road gained steam Monday evening.
Eleven Mill Creek residents gathered Monday, April 9, to discuss possible solutions to the road noise on Seattle Hill Road. The newly formed Mill Creek Road Noise Abatement Coalition plans to organize homeowners and work with the city on finding a way to reduce noise.
“A few voices don’t amount to very much anymore,” said Jack Dinniene, who lives in Heatherstone. “It’s a lot tougher now to get the city to respond to a small group of people.”
Along with organizing residents, the coalition’s other goal is to provide input to the engineering firm that will study noise, flow and patterns on the two-lane road. The city council is expected to name the consulting group who will implement the study at its Tuesday, April 24, meeting.
The noise coalition is planning on attending that meeting as a group and is encouraging concerned homeowners along Seattle Hill Road to also attend.
Citizens academy gives behind-the-scenes look at city
What will you do the next time you’re pulled over by a police officer?
The answer to that question was one of several points discussed at the Mill Creek Police Department’s Citizens’ Academy on Monday, April 30.
The Citizens’ Academy was started to teach residents what police are doing on a daily basis, said Bob Kirk, the department’s volunteer coordinator.
“So many people say ‘we don’t see police cars cruising our area, how come, where are they,’” Kirk said. “The Citizens’ Academy is to advise them … just what goes on inside these four walls during the day.”
The 14-hour course started on April 25 with a look at Mill Creek’s history, comparing statistics on police calls from 1985 to 2006.
May
Would-be robber brings note, leaves without the money
An attempted robbery at a local bank ended when the suspect fled the bank before the robbery was completed.
At around 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 21, a male suspect entered the Washington Mutual at 912 164th St., walked up to the teller and handed them a note, said Steve Winters, spokesman for the Mill Creek Police Department.
“The suspect waited for a few moments then turned and left the bank,” Winters said.
The suspect didn’t take anything and no one was injured in the attempted robbery.
Winters said it was unclear why the suspect left the bank without taking any money.
“Whether it was taking too long or he saw something … we don’t know at this point,” he said.
Silver Lake renovations coming
For years, Silver Lake Elementary in south Everett hasn’t been able to have all-school assemblies where the whole school fits at once. People coming to campus can easily avoid the front office, a security issue, and the gym and other buildings are aging and in need of repair.
These problems and more will be solved when the school gets a $8.8 million upgrade starting in July. Work is expected to be done by October 2008. The project is funded by the bond issue that passed in 2006 and is part of a larger district effort to modernize its buildings.
A new way to commute
Local participants in the National Bike to Work Day certainly had the weather on their side.
Under sunny skies and with a cool morning breeze, more than 790 commuters left their cars at home and biked to work on Friday, May 18.
The event encourages people to find an alternate route to work, either on a bike or on the bus, said Debbie Anderson of Community Transit, one of the sponsors of Bike to Work Day in Snohomish County.
Community Transit had stations set up throughout the county providing snacks and information to area bicyclists. Anderson was working at the McCollum Park site Friday morning, passing out maps and other items to commuters.
Rep. Lovick wants to be sheriff
State Rep. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, is running for Snohomish County Sheriff.
Lovick announced his bid Wednesday, May 2, for the position that is being vacated by Sheriff Rick Bart, who is unable to run again because of term limits.
Lovick, a 31-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol, spent 11 years in the United States Coast Guard, and is in his fifth term as a 44th District legislator in the state House of Representatives.
“I think I can combine that experience and provide outstanding leadership to the county,” Lovick said.
June
City issues notice of violation against Pacific Topsoils
The city of Mill Creek on Thursday, May 24, ordered Pacific Topsoils to cease all illegal and nonconforming activities on the company’s site on 35th Avenue Southeast.
The Notice of Violation, Regulatory Order and Administrative Determination orders the company to stop all activities until they comply with city and state law, said city manager Steve Nolen.
“We have had discussions with them about these issues over the last number of months,” he said. “So far they’ve declined our request to comply with the permitting requirements of the city.”
Pacific Topsoils supplies topsoils and landscape construction materials throughout the Puget Sound area. Operations on the Mill Creek site include peat mining, retail sale of garden products, and processing yard waste and construction waste, according to the Notice of Violation.
Senior Center gets the green light
Augie Faulk shook her fist in the air.
“Why is it we senior citizens are at the bottom of the list for everything?” asked the longtime Mill Creek resident. “I’ve got a lot to say on the subject, but I don’t think anyone wants to hear it.”
She took a deep breath — preparing her spiel — when a woman sitting nearby whispered something in Faulk’s ear.
Her eyes lit up.
Faulk hadn’t heard yet about the outcome of a vote last week among residents of the Mill Creek Community Association (MCCA) to allow construction of a senior center in the city’s first established neighborhood. The project was approved May 30 by a 95 percent majority, allowing the MCCA and the Mill Creek Senior Center Foundation to negotiate a lease agreement for the land across the street from the country club.
“Well, it’s long overdue,” Faulk said with a smile. “I was threatening to beat the heck out of them with my cane if they didn’t help us.”
The city is one of a handful in Washington that doesn’t have a senior center for the aging members of its community.
Mill Creek’s senior services, offered through the Bothell-based Northshore Senior Center, are spread around the community in churches, libraries and other such facilities. Satellite offices and classrooms also are located in Washington State University’s Extension building at McCollum Park.
“I used to just drive out to the Everett Senior Center,” Faulk said. “But that’s too far for me to drive now, especially with all that traffic.”
Senior center foundation board member and former Mill Creek Mayor Kathy Nielsen assured Faulk that last week’s vote underscores the community’s commitment to seniors – a group that represents about 15 percent of Mill Creek’s population.
July
City manager Steve Nolen resigns
A difference of opinion on how best to lead the city was cited as the main reason for former Mill Creek city manager Steve Nolen’s sudden resignation.
Nolen tendered his immediate resignation on Wednesday, June 27, after meeting with city council members to determine whether conflicting views on management style could be resolved.
“At the end of our discussion it seemed clear (Nolen’s) resignation was appropriate,” Mill Creek Mayor Donna Michelson said Tuesday, July 3, at a special meeting to accept Nolen’s resignation and appoint an acting city manager. “It’s really unfortunate, but we just couldn’t reach an agreement. It was irreconcilable.”
Nolen, who was hired by the city two years, would not comment on any disagreements he had with council members or other city leaders.
“I made a personal decision that it was time for me to leave,” he said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “I’d rather not get into all the details of my relationship with the city.”
Public Works director Tim Burns will serve as Nolen’s acting replacement until the council hires an interim city manager.
Group gives grant for woman’s commitment to adult literacy
All she needed was a fresh start.
The ink was barely dry on 59-year-old Judy Frost’s divorce papers when she decided to go back to school five years ago.
“It was a horrible divorce,” Frost said. “I had to start my life over, and I had no self esteem no belief that I could learn anything. I was sure the skills that I had were of no use to anyone.”
A work-study student at Everett Community College, Frost eased into her new life volunteering a few days a week at the school’s adult literacy center and found her calling in the English as a Second Language program.
“It caught me off guard, when in working with other people I realized I did have something worth while to contribute,” said Frost, who was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the Friends of the Mill Creek Library to pay for her certification training as an ESL instructor. “I don’t think I can begin to imagine or quantify all that I’ve learned from the people here.”
DockDogs soak up lots of love at Mill Creek Festival
Amidst a commotion of barking pups and cheering spectators, Magnum Warren, a 3-year-old black lab, concentrated on a chew toy in his owner’s hand.
He let out a string of ferocious growls, tugging at the rubber newspaper. His nails scraped the ground beneath him, and “whoosh,” the toy soared through the air with Magnum after it nearly 20 feet before he plunged into the DockDogs swimming pool on Saturday, July at the Mill Creek Town Center. “You never know until you make that first trip to the dock whether your dog’s made to do this,” said Magnum’s owner, Tony Warren of Wenatchee.
“We trained him to jump off our dock back home into the river. The first time we tried to get him into a crystal clear swimming pool he didn’t want anything to do with it.”
Groups question campaign financing
Developers contribute thousands of dollars every year to political campaigns.
In Snohomish County, campaign contributions from developers and associated businesses over the last three years total more than $100,000.
As city leaders grow increasingly frustrated by a perceived unwillingness on the part of the Snohomish County Council to implement tougher, unified design standards on construction projects in Urban Growth Areas, campaign financing has been identified as one potential source of the problem.
“They’re more worried about getting re-elected than they are about creating quality, livable housing that people can be proud of,” said Mill Creek Mayor Pro-tem Terry Ryan, who also serves on the Southwest Cities and Snohomish County Tomorrow advisory boards.
Both groups, representing every city in the county, signed off on proposals to the County Council earlier this year for design and development standards on air condos clustered residential developments in which houses are separated by no more than 10 feet.
Recommendations included mandatory public hearings for developments with more than 10 units, lot size restrictions, a parking space ratio of 2:1 per unit and landscaping and open space requirements.
“These were bare minimum proposals and that’s what I told the council when I submitted them,” Ryan said. “But, the developers didn’t like our recommendations, and the council adopted none of them. Who are they representing, anyway?”
August
County facing challenge of sprawl vs. quality of life
Area residents are sending a message to developers and local lawmakers on a daily basis:
“We hate sprawl, and we hate density.”
“You walk away asking yourself, ‘OK then, what would you like us to do?’” said Mark McNaughton, president of McNaughton Group Land Development. “Everyone will agree that we need to protect our rural areas — that urban sprawl is a bad thing. Then, you start talking about growth in and around the cities, and the same people say they don’t want tight, clustered residential developments cramming up their neighborhoods. That’s the rub.”
As county officials plan for a projected population increase of 300,000 people over the next 13 years, the challenge to provide infrastructure and a variety of housing options is mired in a debate over property rights, environmental concerns and other emotional issues tied to residents’ quality of life.
Local church supports mission for orphans in Africa
Henriette Bodjolle cried out to God the day she met Evans Adinkra.
She was on a Bible mission in Togo six years ago when she found Adinkra, now 14 — hidden away and immobilized by the pain of an untreated injury.
“His mother couldn’t afford to take him to the hospital,” said Bodjolle, a parishioner at North Creek Presbyterian church in Mill Creek and founder of True Vine Togo, a Christian organization that cares for approximately 50 orphans in the West African nation. “Evans had been at home ever since, unable to go to school or play with other children.”
The Togolese native spoke slowly her voice weighted by a French-African accent.
She never experienced poverty first hand.
She graduated from the University of Lome in Togo with a bachelors degree in law and came to the United States in 1999 to study women’s rights.
Former public works director hired as city manager
Former Mill Creek Public Works Director Tim Burns, who was appointed interim city manager July 10 and tendered his resignation days later for a job with the Navy, was hired on Tuesday as the city’s permanent city manager.
“It’s a whole new challenge,” Burns said of his new position. “My background has always been in public works and facilities. The job with the Navy was pretty much what I’d been doing as public works director, but closer to home.”
The chance to explore a different career path was too good for Burns to pass up.
He replaces former City Manager Steve Nolen, who was asked in June by the City Council to step down.
Burns will receive an annual salary of $110,000, approximately $900 more a year than Nolen was making at the time of his resignation.
September
Partisan politics creeping into nonpartisan races
Candidate endorsements have become a mechanism for Republicans and Democrats to inject their politics into nonpartisan campaigns.
There are more than 160 nonpartisan positions in Snohomish County up for grabs in November positions on city councils, school boards, hospital districts and others.
Many of the candidates in these elections, however, are endorsed by Republican and Democrat organizations.
“I think it’s a little scary,” said Mill Creek City Councilman Mike Todd. “I don’t like the idea of Democrats and Republicans having control of our hospital districts and school boards. We are at large supposed to speak to the concerns of everyone not the political parties we represent. We don’t have a partisan form of government at this local level.”
Abandoned Lab mix in search of a good home
She greets everyone with a wave of her paw and a friendly chorus of “bow wows.” Strangers brace themselves as it appears the energetic yellow Lab mix intends to tackle them for a good face licking. It’s only when she topples over that people realize Daisy Mae is different than any other puppy.
She suffers from non-degenerative cerebellar ataxia, a neurological disorder — more common in cats than in dogs — that interferes with communication between the animal’s brain and legs.
It’s unclear whether her condition is the result of a virus contracted in utero or after her birth.
She was barely 6 weeks old when someone abandoned her in a heavily wooded area outside Longview, Wash., about four months ago.
“We’ll never know exactly what happened to her,” said Joyce Gonzalez, a volunteer at Rescue Pup, headquartered at Pet Pleasers pet supply store in Mill Creek. “My guess is that a back door breeder left her in the woods to die, knowing they wouldn’t be able to sell her.”
Marysville resident Judith Swanson, who works closely with area animal shelters as a foster owner, fell in love with Daisy Mae at first sight. It’s clear the two of them share a special bond, as Daisy Mae responds to every word from her rescuer’s mouth. Her ears perk up, and she thumps the ground with her paw — desperate for Swanson’s undivided attention.
“She’s a big responsibility,” Swanson said, feeding her foster pup a dish of liver-flavored ice cream. “But, she’s a wonderful, intelligent dog. She loves everyone and is absolutely heartbroken if someone dares walk by without acknowledging her.”
Swanson, who doesn’t have the necessary space or time to care for Daisy Mae permanently, contacted Gonzalez and Allicia Crockett at Rescue Pup in June to sponsor the dog and help find her a suitable home.
The women have worked as a team these past four months preparing Daisy Mae for adoption and raising money to fit her with a customized support sling and wheelchair to allow her free roam of her surroundings.
She’s been examined by several specialists, all of whom predict Daisy Mae is destined for a long and happy life with the appropriate family and accommodations.
Forest View Elementary opens
Forest View Elementary School opened its doors this month to 368 students from Cedar Wood, Silver Firs and Penny Creek elementary schools.
Construction crews worked overtime to finish the school, which was built to accommodate the growing population in the Everett School District’s south end, by Sept. 5.
New school relieves crowding at others
In recent years, as houses have sprung up in the Everett School District’s south end, students have poured into local schools. Some elementary populations climbed into the 700s, portables sprouted up, hallways thickened and principals’ lists of students to recognize grew long.
But now the stream is flowing the other way for Penny Creek, Cedar Wood and Silver Firs Elementary schools. Hundreds of students left those three schools to attend the new Forest View Elementary this fall.
Boundary changes have mixed up student population as well. Students will find themselves walking in less crowded hallways and not having classes in portables. Another change will be new faces on campus.
October
Police: Third incident of anti-Semitic graffiti a prank
Sunday, Sept. 30, began uneventful for Mill Creek City Council candidate Ed McNichol.
He left his house around 10 a.m. to do some campaigning in the Parkside Neighborhood, where his typical Sunday routine was interrupted by a sickening image spray painted on someone’s house.
“There was a giant swastika painted on the garage door,” McNichol said. “I rang the family’s doorbell a couple times to see if there was anything I could do to help.”
When no one came to the door, McNichol called the police.
It’s the third time in less than a month that anti Semitic graffiti has shown up in Mill Creek.
A Jewish family was targeted twice last month in the days leading up to Yom Kippur, the day of fasting and atonement.
In both cases, swastikas and anti Semitic statements were spray painted on the family’s vehicles.
The latest incident, which likely occurred late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, appears to be a random act of vandalism.
The victims, who police are not identifying for safety and privacy reasons, are not Jewish.
“It’s as distasteful and disrespectful as the earlier incidents, but it’s not as worrisome in the fact that the victims weren’t specifically chosen,” Mill Creek Police Chief Bob Crannell said. “I think we have a case of some dumb kids who heard about the other incidents on the news and figured they might get their graffiti on the front page of the newspaper.”
County, city look at ways to relieve 164th congestion
Free bus passes may be a perk for new homeowners along the 164th Street corridor in Snohomish County.
Bus pass giveaways are among several strategies being considered by county and city officials to alleviate congestion on a roadway that can’t realistically grow any wider.
According to projections from the county public works department, the number of vehicles traveling 164th Street SW/SE each day will increase by nearly 20,000 in the next five years, exceeding the county’s cap on traffic for the roadway.
Public works officials recommended last month that the County Council declare 164th Street at ultimate capacity.
“It means the road is as wide as it will ever get and there is nothing that can be done in terms of capital improvements to alleviate the gridlock,” County Councilman Dave Gossett said. “Before we make the ultimate capacity designation, however, the council wants a plan in place to deal with the traffic problems.”
Council members have asked public works staff from the county and the various cities along 164th Street to come up with a plan by early November to reduce traffic on the roadway. Until then, a temporary ban is in place on developments that add more than two vehicles per evening rush hour.
Applause dancers help bust record in ‘Thrill the World’ event
Olivia Pace’s jaw dropped at the thought that children, her own age 25 years ago, sat glued to their televisions awaiting the world premier of Michael Jackson’s landmark “Thriller” video on MTV.
“It must have been a really big deal,” said Pace, 12 one of nearly 2,000 people around the globe who participated in a record setting dance on Saturday, Oct. 27, to Jackson’s biggest hit ever. “I never even knew who Michael Jackson was until my grandpa, who’s really into different types of music, told me about him one day.”
To Pace and the rest of her classmates at Mill Creek’s Applause Studio, Jackson is a golden oldie much like the Beach Boys and Elvis rank with those who remember celebrating the release of “Thriller” in 1982.
“My grandpa and I were watching TV, and they were talking about this video,” Pace explained. “I asked my grandpa, ‘What’s that? I really like it.’ And, that’s when he told me all about ‘Thriller’ and Michael Jackson.”
November
Harmsworth wins council position
Mark Harmsworth’s victory over Chuck Wright for Position 7 on the Mill Creek City Council appears to have been decided on Tuesday, Nov. 6, by 165 votes.
“I’m honored that citizens have chosen me to represent them,” Harmsworth said amid cheers from friends and family gathered at his home on election night. “The results really validate what I identified as the major issues facing Mill Creek.”
Economic development and growth management were among the power points of his campaign, which clearly resonated with residents not just in Mill Creek but across the region. His desire to support Mill Creek’s budget through promotion and development of local business seems in line with Washington voters, who turned down all statewide initiatives relying on increased property taxes.
Todd holds onto city council seat
Mike Todd apparently held onto his position on the Mill Creek City Council Tuesday, Nov. 6, with 62 percent of the votes cast over rival Ed McNichol.
Todd was appointed to the council two years ago and later elected in an unopposed race to fill the remaining term of Councilman Jack Start, who died from a heart attack.
“I am thankful that the people in Mill Creek seem to approve of the job I’ve done on council,” Todd said moments after learning he was reelected. “There are many important issues facing our city in the next four years and I look forward to further representing our residents.”
McNichol, who could not be reached for comment, challenged Todd on several areas, including community policing and what he perceived as failure councilwide to communicate with residents.
Mill Creek Town Center retailers avoid Black Friday masses
While hordes of shoppers gathered at area malls and specialty stores in the twilight hours of Black Friday, Mill Creek retailer Karin Heusted was sound asleep in bed.
There were no mobs waiting outside her children’s boutique on Nov. 23 when the doors opened at 9 a.m. no sales ploys to drag in customers the day after Thanksgiving.
“We don’t have a real Black Friday here,” said Heusted, co-owner of Lil Lads ‘N Lasses. “It’s just like any other day for us, though this year’s did seem up from last year.”
You expect chaos at the malls and other large retail outlets.
Heusted figures people shop at her store to escape the holiday mayhem.
“Every now and then I’ll hear from a customer, ‘You should have your sales at the same time the malls are having their sales,’” she said. “But we’re not at the mall. We offer a different, more intimate atmosphere, and that’s what most of our customers like about us.”
Council agrees to test red-light cameras at three intersections
Every hour police officers spend monitoring traffic at a signaled intersection is an hour they can’t devote to crime prevention in local neighborhoods.
As Mill Creek residents demand heightened security around their homes and school zones, the City Council is investigating whether photo enforcement of signaled intersections will provide officers more flexibility in policing the community.
On Tuesday, Nov. 27, council authorized the city manager to draft a contract with American Traffic Solutions of up to $6,000 to assess signal violation rates at three intersections.
If council approves the contract, ATS will install cameras at the selected intersections and monitor traffic for eight hour time periods.
ATS will recommend photo enforcement at intersections where more than ten violations are recorded per day. The city will pay no installation fee if council implements video monitoring at the recommended locations. At that point, ATS’ monitoring services would be paid from a capped percentage of fines collected for signal violations.
Council votes against property tax hike
The Mill Creek City Council will not raise property taxes in 2008.
It’s the fourth year in a row city leaders have waived their authority to pad tax rolls, but there may never be a fifth. Several capital projects and financial obligations loom ahead.
“We can’t go on forever not raising taxes,” said Mayor Donna Michelson, who voted in favor of the 0 percent increase on Tuesday night. “We’ve established a track record so that when we do need an increase our residents will look and say, ‘You must really need that money.’”
With no significant projects on the table, council has operated from the position that having the authority to raise taxes is not a justification to do so.
But several items were brought to the Council’s attention on Tuesday night, including roadway improvements and noise abatement on Seattle Hill Road and a suggested salary survey for city employees.
Mill Creek resident wins seat on board
Carol Andrews, Mill Creek resident and CPA, has secured a place on the Everett School Board. Andrews ran against challenger Susan Kaftanski in the Nov. 6 election for the seat.
At press time, with about 94 percent of votes counted, Andrews had about 60 percent of the votes and Kaftanski had about 39 percent.
December
Seattle Hill Road improvements may break into two parts
Motorists will want to think twice about hitting their accelerators on Seattle Road in Mill Creek.
The police department was instructed on Tuesday, Dec. 4, by City Council members to step up patrols on the roadway, which area residents complain is too noisy and too dangerous.
Police visibility and traffic enforcement were among several recommendations from residents and consultants in a recent study aimed at improving the quality of life for people living on and around Seattle Hill Road. Other recommendations included the installation of several roundabouts, speed bumps and Quiet Pave Asphalt, but council held off on those items, saying more time was needed for review and discussion.
“I think we can do this in two phases,” Councilman Mark Bond said. “People sometimes complain that we move at a glacial pace and I don’t want that to happen here. There are things like reducing the speed limit and establishing a greater police presence that will result in immediate improvements. We should act now on those recommendations that are relatively inexpensive.”
Complaints about safety and noise on Seattle Hill Road are nothing new in Mill Creek.
Wal-Mart cancels store at East Gateway
News that Wal-Mart withdrew its application to build a store in Mill Creek was suspicious to some residents.
“We’re incredibly pleased,”” said Citizens for a Better Mill Creek member Karen Lowe. “But we need to keep our eyes open stay on top of land use notices coming out of the county,” she said. “The rumors are swirling around and we’ll need to mobilize right away if we find anything.”
Citizens for a Better Mill Creek was formed about three years ago in response to an to an application from Wal-Mart to erect a 24-hour super center on 132nd Street SE. The grassroots effort grew quickly, and representatives of the group showed up regularly at community functions, often sharing their concerns about Wal-Mart at city council and planning commission meetings.
The Arkansas-based retailer got initial approval from Snohomish County to build the store but was ordered last year to assess the environmental impacts of building on the site, adjacent to protected wetlands and a number of residential developments. Wal-Mart was in the midst of appealing the order, when the company’s application with Snohomish County was suddenly withdrawn earlier this month.
Mill Creek City Councilwoman Mary Kay Voss credits Wal-Mart’s retreat to Citizens for a Better Mill Creek.
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