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MC Town Center Best Lifestyle Center & Open-Air Mall

forumPicwebOur very own, Mill Creek Town Center will be featured in a television segment filmed locally, as the Official Best Lifestyle Center & Open-Air Mall in Washington for 2013.

The feature will be shown on FOX Seattle & on The Discovery Channel nationally in October 2013 & placed on the national travel site  www.OfficialBestOf.com/features/washington/2013.php

Look for the segment on:

Wednesday, October 2 at 5:00 am E/P on The Discovery Channel

Saturday, October 5 at 2:00 pm on KCPQ FOX channel 13 in Seattle

Mill Creek Town Center is an amazing lifestyle center located in the scenic city of Mill Creek, Washington. Nestled among nature trails & creeks, the outdoor mall has a park-like setting. With over 80 retail stores, boutiques, restaurants & services, you’ll always find friendly service & something unique. Open 7 days a week, the Mill Creek Town Center is located 1/2 mile north of SW 164th Street on Bothell-Everett Hwy in Mill Creek WA. Do Tell.

The Official Best Of originated in January 2007 as a travel TV show & website covering only a few states. Today Official Best Of covers 28 states with the remaining states plus other countries being covered in 2013.

One distinction that sets Official Best Of apart from many other travel sites is that it doesn’t accept advertising on either its television programs or its website. The selection of attractions is by merit, and lesser-known but worthy attractions are given the same attention as famous ones. As with each TV show production, the website www.OfficialBestOf.com offers a great resource for those planning a vacation, day trip or outing for residents within Washington as well as folks all across the country.

Lombardi’s Garlic Festival is Back!

LombardisGarlicFestPicLombardi’s Garlic Fest is back by popular demand after a five year hiatus with cooking classes, wine tastings, contest & locally produced products.  Ahhh, two weeks of garlic joy for bulb connoisseurs & Garlic novices alike. 

From Sept. 27th through Oct. 12th, local garlic lovers can rejoice in the bulb during the two-week Garlic Festival at Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants in Mill Creek & Everett.

Diners will experience a garlic-in-every-course menu including 40-clove roasted chicken & desserts such as a cappuccino brownie layered with garlic peanut sauce. To top it all off they can kick back a garlic infused martini or take a break from the bulb & pair their meal with a select wine from the Piedmont region of Italy, known for complementing the rich and herbaceous taste of the stinking rose. Do tell.

Garlic for some of the festival menu to be provided by Arlington, WA farm – Garden Treasures. The wine bar will provide tastings over the duration of the festival highlighting wines from Piedmont wineries: Damilano, Franco Molino, Beni di Barasiolo & Cantine Vopi.

What: Lombardi’s Garlic Fest: A gourmet garlic celebration featuring all things culinary with a garlic menu, wine tastings, cooking classes & contests

When: September 27 through October 12   for  Lunch,  Dinner & Sunday Brunch

Where: Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants:

  • Mill Creek – 19409 Bothell-Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA, 98102 
  • Everett at the Marina – 1620 W Marine View Dr., Everett, WA, 98102

Visit:  lombardisitalian.com for more information about Lombardi’s restaurants & the much missed, long awaited Garlic Fest.

Information & Garlic Fest Graphic provided by Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants.

Bothell Blues Festival 2013 – August 31

Bothell Blues Festival August 31st

bothell-blues-festival-2011-crowdsStay local! Labor Day weekend is crazy no matter where you go. Try heading to Seattle. Good luck finding a parking spot & fighting the crowds. Bumbershoot pulls in thousands of people & clogs the arteries of Seattle for the entire weekend. For those of us in Kirkland, Mill Creek, Kenmore, Kirkland, Woodinville & Lynnwood, here is the better plan: Stay Local, Eat Local, Listen Local, Drink Local & Connect Local! August 31st from 11am to 8pm is the Bothell Blues Festival!

There is something for everyone to enjoy at this great little Local event. Local Blues, Local Beer, & local BBQ:chester

1.       The Bands. Do they have bands! The Wired Band and the Chester Dennis Jones Band are both coming back and WOW did they both kill it last year! People are still talking about Chester in the beer garden, jumping from table to table while playing a guitar solo… AWESOME! And Wired, these guys took the INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee last year and wow do they put on a show. In addition, we were able get the Stacy Jones Band who is one of the hottest blues bands here in Seattle. We are stoked. Really stoked about this year’s line-up!

 

2.      The Food. We have Carolina Smoke BBQ in the house again this year. Dave is bring  back his shredded beef sandwiches, hot wings, hot links, pulled pork. YUM! They also have invited the Village Bean sandwich shop which has some other alternatives to BBQ in case (for some crazy reason) someone doesn’t want BBQ. Expect great sandwiches & other goodies.bothell-blues-festival-2011-beer-garden

3.      The Beer. This year the Bothell Blues Festival has invited Foggy Noggin Brewery to provide the beer for the event. Foggy Noggin is an award winning local Bothell brewery that makes some killer beer. Do tell.

 

4.      The Wine. Open Road Winery has agreed provide the wine for the Bothell Blues Festival. Open Road is a local, family owned & operated BOTHELL winery that specializes in high end wines that are completely off the hook.

5.      Location. There is something about having a blues festival at Bothell’s Country Village. It just seems to fit the music perfectly. The Country Village’s laid back, country style outdoor shopping center is a great back drop for a day of great music & food. Don’t forget: You concert bracelets get you great discounts at selected shops so feel free to wander the village and shop in between bands!

Ask anyone who went last year, it is truly a great, little, community event that we know you will really enjoy. August 31st at the Country Village Shops in Bothell. $17 at the door or buy your tickets online on our website www.BothellBluesFestival.com

Thank You to Sean McVeigh with the Bothell Blues Festival for providing the copy & photos for this story, along with permission to make just a few minor changes.

 

 

Document Shredding Day 9/7/2013

shredHeadAre you buried under piles of personal documents you no longer need? Have you attempted to shred them yourself & actually made the matter worse. You say you are now up to your armpits in shredded bits?

Saturday, September 7th 2013 is your lucky day! Mill Creek Councilmember, Donna Michelson & The City of Mill Creek are, once again, bringing in Shred-It a professional document shredding company to shred all your personal & sensitive documents on site at Mill Creek City Hall located at 15728 Main Street in Mill Creek.

From 10Am to 2PM you may bring up to 4 boxes of documents. You do not have to be a resident of Mill Creek – all are welcome. You do not have to remove staples, paper clips, fasteners, etc. This is your chance to finally clean out those file cabinets, drawers, that desk top, closet & dispose of accumulated, no longer needed, paper stuff. Do tell.

This event is FREE, but volunteers from the Mill Creek Food Bank want you to know they will be on site, as well, to collect non-perishible food items. This completely voluntary, but please consider bringing an item or a few or cash to help your community.

 

Board Bash 6 & It’s Free!

Calling all Skateboarders! The City of Mill Creek Parks & Recreation Department & community sponsors will be hosting their 6th annual Board Bash Skateboard Competition on Saturday August 24th from 11AM to 3PM. This is open to youth & adults ages 6 & up. The event is FREE, but you must register. There will be room for up to 80 participants across 4 age categories. In addition to the registration form, completed & signed Medical Release Forms are a requirement to compete. Do tell.

For all the details including the Registration Form & Medical Release Form please visit the fabulous all new City of Mill Creek website www.cityofmillcreek.com 

Once at the City of Mill Creek home page, click on Sat. Aug. 24 under Events Calendar in right sidebar, or go through Parks & Recreation page.

Event Registration: 11AM-12PM Competition: 12PM -3PM  Event will be at the Mill Creek Skate Park – 13903 North Creek Drive, Mill Creek, WA 98012

Sponsors: Community Transit, Zumiez, Waste Management-NW, Boston’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, Evergreen AutoWorks, BC Premium Board Shop, Top Post Hand-Forged Doughnuts, Sk8Rats, Curb the Congestion & SportClips.

Speaking of Hazardous Waste . . .

Have you been wringing your hands over what to do with all that leftover paint thinner, pool chemicals, rechargeable batteries & little Mikey’s chemistry set that you’ve let gather dust, all the while fretting it will spontaneously combust? As easy as it sounds,  YOU KNOW you can’t toss it in the garbage or pour it down the drain! Do tell.

There is a good solution to this problem.  Snohomish County Public Works has Free disposal at the Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Station just for these & other leftover toxic products. This is for households only, not businesses. Some exceptions, for small quantities, may apply for businesses by appointment/prior arrangement only & fees will apply.

Where: 3434 McDougall Avenue,  Everett, WA

When: Wednesday-Saturday from 7:30AM to 4PM.

More questions: 425-388-3425

For a full list of what is accepted & what is not please visit: www.snoco.org  & search for hazardous waste in the Search box, or to make it a little easier just click on this link:   http://tinyurl.com/yalgt7

I will share one important tip from the website – “For the safety of you and your family, transport these products in sealed, non-leaking containers. Household hazardous waste can be dangerous if spilled or combined. Do not mix liquids or other chemicals.”

City’s New Website has Launched

The City of Mill Creek has completed an extreme makeover of its website. Besides the fresh modern look, there are several new tools to engage visitors. Right at the top you will notice the +myconnections link. Here it is easy to set up an account where you will be able to personalize your experience with the website. Interested in Parks & Recreation or City Council meetings? Want to get the latest news from the Police department? How about emergency alerts? You can have it all set up via widgets you choose for your personalized dashboard.

Notify Me” is the go-to page to subscribe to receive notifications, via email or text message, of whatever interests you most: updates on development of the East Gateway Urban Village, Marijuana regulation in Mill Creek, City of Mill Creek job openings, upcoming special meetings, request agendas from upcoming public meetings & much, much more.

I love the HowDo I . . . ? page where you will find information – including who to contact- to report that street light that’s out, the stop sign that has toppled, report a code violation or possible hazardous waste spill. Not to mention, How do I  . . .  pay, apply, find, register, rent or reserve? You name it; it’s probably here.  Do tell.

Plan to visit www.cityofmillcreek.com  soon & spend some time exploring the new site. There is a ton of information & interactive ways to request more information. If you have ideas of something that can make the City or even the site better the City of Mill Creek wants to know & you will find a link for that, too.

MC Council Candidates for Position #1 Have say

vote3Previously you had a chance to read what the candidates for Position # 2 had to say in answer to 4 questions posed to them. Today I’m posting the responses from candidates for Position #1. Do tell.

(Please note: the questions were emailed to all the candidates on the same date & time – July 15th. I requested that they please respond by July 22nd because voters were receiving their ballots. Though I sent a follow-up email, I have not received a response from Sean Kelly. When I do, I will post.)

Again, the questions:

  1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and feel need to be maintained. Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.
  2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council?
  3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?
  4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years? (some examples, but don’t feel limited to these: Public safety – Fire & Police, crime, managed growth in both residential and business areas, parks & recreation, roads/sidewalks

Herbie Martin:

1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek, WA?

 To my understanding it’s about 8 years since my property has become part of Mill Creek taxable income property.

What are the three most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and feel need to be maintained?

1. Excellent city to raise a family and live.

2. Excellent city to walk and accessible to all the freeways

3. Excellent city to be connected to Seattle and other forms of public transportation

Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.

 Needing to improve the sales revenue for Mill Creek.

2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council?

I have served our country in the United States Army for 20 years of faithful service.

I am serving Washingtonians for 12 years, those most in need.

I would like to serve where I live and play. I have served mostly in Seattle, WA, but want to be closer to home.

3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/ will not?

I bring to the city council’s table a reflections of diversity none of my opponents bring to the city council.

I bring my professional and personal experiences to the city council respect and valuing diversity.

I bring my God’s given talent of engaging people from all walks of life and making the connections.

4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years?

1. Fiscally responsible economic development is vital for our City’s future.

2. The community support of future annexations, that are currently on the table for considerations.

3. Mill Creek city needs to bring in some kind of business or  a major attraction to bring people from the surrounding area to stop and spend money in our city.

 

Lynn Sordel:

1.  I have lived in Mill Creek for nearly seven years with my wife Linda, daughters Carrie and Kristin. We moved here from Orlando, Fl when I was hired in my current position of Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts for the City of Lynnwood.

The three most important aspects of life here are the reasons we selected Mill Creek to be our home. First, we love the character of the community. The environment is amazingly beautiful and the fact we can walk trails or ride bikes safely is wonderful. We love the community based events the city sponsors as they connect us to each other. Finally, we love the Town Center as just about everything we need is there.

Mill Creek’s quality of life is unparalleled. We believe our community has a great deal of pride and our citizens feel safe.  There is a sense of being here and we have a vibrant economic base. I feel very fortunate to live in a community where our citizens are engaged and participate in the many activities and events offered by the city.

Finally, I also feel strongly about the city’s strong leadership. We have highly trained and dedicated staff. Our fiscal matters are stronger than most city’s and we are seen as a model by others. I know this to be true because of my work and connections.

I do think our traffic can be challenging and we will need to work with the county to explore ways to improve this matter. Our bus service has been hit hard by the recession too.

 

2. I am running because I want to preserve and enhance our quality of life. I want to devote my time and energy to help Mill Creek thrive.  I have been fortunate to spend over 30 years working in the public sector and I know how to create sound public policies. That is critical today. Finally, I love this city and will focus on the issues that matter.  Those decisions will represent what is best for Mill Creek. I have no other political ambitions and will not use this position to enhance a political career or opportunity.

 

3.  I bring 30 years of public service to my candiacy. My knowledge of municipal government is my strength. I understand the complexities of government and know how to get things done. My career has placed me in key leadership situations, and I have a reputation of being able to get things done. I am approachable and listen. I am not impulsive and think things through.

I have also volunteered with the city and served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. This was an appointed position by council.

Finally, my experience, knowledge and energy have provided me with a positive outlook. I love working with people and love partnerships and collaboration. I also know how to look for efficiencies and have been challenged to make tough decisions.

 

4.  The priorities for the next 5 years begin and end with a prudent and responsible fiscal policy. The city must continue to look for ways to be even more efficient because an efficient government is of the utmost importance to our citizens. A focus on the optimization of budgets, innovation in service delivery is critical. I am also a strong advocate of using new technology where appropriate. The city will need to evaluate its resources and priorities. Costs will continue to go up, so there will need to be a continued effort to look for efficiencies.

Our public safety matters are also important. They are essential services and they should also be part of self-analysis to look for efficiencies.  Our EMT and fire services are also important components of our quality of life. We are fortunate to have highly trained police and fire employees.

Our business community needs to know the city cares about their welfare. We need to continue our efforts to promote them and ensure our codes and regulations are conducive to a vibrant business environment. Again, we should continue to self-evaluate our codes and regulations to allow the business community to succeed.

Our open spaces and recreational activities are vital to our quality of life. We enjoy civic events that connect us and I will continue to support them. These events also bring people into the city and helps our local economy. I am a strong advocate of tough laws that protect our trees and open spaces.

Finally, I also believe the city’s infrastructure will require attention. Our roads and sidewalks require care and maintenance. We will continue to require a solid capital plan to maintain these key elements that connect our community.

In closing, I am excited about this opportunity. Since my appointment to the City Council last November, I have made an impact and, because of my experience and knowledge, my “learning curve” has been short.  Our citizens deserve people who care about their community. I honestly believe my experience, knowledge and leadership skills give me an advantage. We will face many new challenges ahead and I am the best prepared candidate for Position 1 to represent our citizens.

 

Thank you to all the candidates who took the time to respond. We do live in an exceptional city. Please learn all you can about the candidates & what they offer to bring to the governance of Mill Creek, and make an informed decision.

MC Council Position 2 Candidates Have the Floor

Vote2I asked the three candidates for Mill Creek City Council Position #2 these 4 questions.:

  1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and believe strongly need to be maintained. Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.
  2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council?
  3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?
  4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years? (some examples, but don’t feel limited to these: Public safety – Fire & Police, crime, managed growth in both residential and business areas, parks & recreation, roads/sidewalks)

The following – in alphabetical order by last name – are the responses I received:

Douglas Carlson —

I have lived in the area since 2008 and am interested in lending my time and talents to the community as a way to give back to the community that I love. The city of Mill Creek shares a name with the town Abraham Lincoln’s parents and siblings lived and has borrowed the same type of small town feel.  It provides residences for engineers, lawyers, doctors, and politicians who appreciate our location and conveniences. I would like to provide services and ammenities that will preserve that kind of environment for the future.  One issue needing to be addressed is storm water and improper drainage in the community.  It is my opinion that swampy conditions can have adverse health effects on the residents of Mill Creek.  My experience in government service uniquely qualifies me to serve as a city council member. I have devoted my life to community health and government service and I can objectively consider every matter brought before me while considering the viewpoints and voices of all of my fellow residents of Mill Creek.  My priorities over the next 5 years include providing essential services and recreation, ensuring community health and promoting education and trimming non-essential services.  I would seek additional revenue such as the new utilities tax on entities within city limits. I feel as though structures in Mill Creek that do not incorporate things like solar paneling for power generation into their construction ought to be responsible for providing the funds we need to operate while our town becomes more and more self reliant. Some of the new state revenue generating initiatives such as I-502 are designed to fund future efforts in emergency medical and law enforcement programs.

Donna Michelson —

  1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and believe strongly need to be maintained.  Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed.

My husband and I have lived in Mill Creek 34 years where we have raised our family.

  1.  We feel safe, secure, serene and comfortable whenever we are in Mill Creek.  This is certainly due in part to our responsive and available Police Department and the Fire Department close for any emergency.  These public safety services of course must never be compromised and always maintained.
  2.  We must maintain our “community within a city” feeling. We are a city but we still have the small town feel.  I do not want to lose that community feel and believe it is in part due to the walkability and natural beauty of our city and the Town Center.  I believe the Town Center brings the community together with opportunities to gather and enjoy the shopping, dining and the ever growing and well attended community events.  We need to keep encouraging everyone to support our businesses and restaurants in our entire city (not just in Town Center) to help them thrive.  Making it easy to do business in our city needs to continue with our capable experienced staff being the contact point to assist with questions/issues.
  3.  We must maintain and preserve our aging infrastructure.  Our city is 30 years old now and we are no longer a young city enjoying “new things”.  We do not want financial surprises when it comes to pavement.  We need to preserve our pavement to extend its life.  This needs to be done on an ongoing basis before it becomes in need of expensive repairs.

2. Why are you running for re-election to the Mill Creek City Council?

I have enjoyed representing the citizens of Mill Creek and it truly has been an honor.  I believe I am approachable and always willing to listen to concerns and issues as I am out in the community on a daily basis.  I was part of formulating our city’s first Strategic Plan, our “road map” to help guide the future of Mill Creek and would like to be part of the team as we move forward in its implementation.

3.  What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?

After living in Mill Creek for 34 years (4 years before it was even a city) and being on the council for 14 years, serving 2 years as Mayor and 4 years as Mayor Pro Tem, I have garnered a lot of experience and history.  I have seen a lot of changes and growth.  I think Mill Creek is fabulous and very well respected.  There are a few things that I think could have been done differently and history, experience and my continuity on the council will help us work thru future issues and challenges.

4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years?

  1. East Gateway Urban Village:  We need to keep working to do the best we can on this last undeveloped parcel of land in Mill Creek.   Because I was on the council as Town Center developed I have history to help guide this developing area.  We of course need to attract businesses and restaurants as this can really pay off in the economic development arena. Our staff can help by making it easy to do business in Mill Creek.
  2. Maintaining service levels while controlling costs for all of our city services.  This is an ongoing challenge but one we continually address.  This means of course always maintaining our Public Safety as a number one priority.
  3.  Preservation of our infrastructure.  Again, as I mentioned above, we must continue to preserve our roads and sidewalks, which we are doing on an ongoing basis.  This cannot be put off for the future.  (I compare pavement preservation to that of taking care of your teeth; get a filling as your need it before you need an expensive root canal and gold crown.)  This must continue to be a priority.

Jason Wingert —

1. How long have you lived in Mill Creek?

For over ten years, I have been a resident owner of a successful insurance and financial services agency in Mill Creek. [and what are the 3 most important aspects of life here, ones that you like the most and feel need to be maintained. Are there any aspects you do not like and feel need to be addressed?] Mill Creek offers safe neighborhoods, clean parks, a walkable community, convenient shopping, local dining and a great sense of community.

2. Why are you running for election to the Mill Creek City Council? ?

I have always had a passion to serve and I will bring my business experience to help solve the challenges we face.

3. What will you bring to the Mill Creek City Council that your opponents do not/will not?

As a citizen and local business leader, I have been listening to the concerns of Mill Creek residents for over ten years.  I understand how to solve problems, implement new initiatives, and operate within a budget.

4. What do you see as the top three priorities for the Mill Creek City Council in the next 5 years? (some examples, but don’t feel limited to these: Public safety – Fire & Police, crime, managed growth in both residential and business areas, parks & recreation, roads/sidewalks)

My priorities are a strong police and fire presence to keep our neighborhoods safe, a business friendly environment to help our local economy grow, real fiscal responsibility, which means providing essential city services with low taxes and a great cost effective parks and recreational program.

 

Stay tuned.  Responses from the candidates running for Position #1 will be posted soon.

 

Design Review Board to Hold Special Meeting

The City of Mill Creek has announced that the Design Review Board will be holding a special meeting on Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 5:15PM  in order to review a monument sign for the Thomas Lake Shopping Center. Do tell.