Category Archives: Services

Friends of the Library have a Sale

This Saturday June 4th, The Mill Creek Library Branch of the Sno-Isle Library System will host a book sale. This annual sale is put on by the Mill Creek Friends of the Library group. 

So come down between 10AM and 3PM and check it out. According to the official flyer there will be business books, cookbooks, books for children and lots of romance. Most items will be priced from 25 cents to $1 and prices will be marked down after 2PM. So, get there early for the best selection, or if you like to live on the edge, wait until after 2!

The following is an excerpt from the Friends of the Library web page:

“The Friends of the Mill Creek Library is a nonprofit organization which offers opportunities to volunteers to join in planning programs, library grants, and library furnishings. Anyone interested in our library and the people who support it is welcome to meetings, which are held from 9 to 10 am on the second Wednesday of the month from September through June, at the library.

The library is at 15429 Bothell-Everett Highway.  Phone: (425) 337-4822.

We support and fund monthly book meetings and provide essential support to the Mill Creek library.” Do tell.

For more information visit: http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=1305

Steve Albertsen Honored with Award

Steve Albertsen, longtime Mill Creek resident [over 25 years] and John L Scott RealSteve Albertsen John L Scott Realtors Estate agent, achieved national recognition when he was awarded the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES ®) designation by the Seniors Real Estate Specialist Council of the National Association of Realtors ® (NAR). Congratulations, Steve!

The SRES® Council was founded in 2007 and has grown to be the world’s largest association of real estate professionals who focus specifically on representing the needs of seniors in real estate transactions. Steve joins more than 16,000 active members of SRES worldwide.

In order to receive this designation, these members were required to complete a comphrehensive course in understanding the needs, considerations and goals of real estate buyers and sellers aged 55 and older. Do tell.

In addition to this recent award, Steve Albertsen has been awarded The John L. Scott “President’s Award” in 2010, The Seattle Magazine’s  FIVE STAR Award for “Best in Overall Customer Satisfaction” in 2010 and The Foreclosure Alternative Consultant (FACS) designation in 2010.

Steve offers: “EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE with an “ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE”           “If you are a satisfied client, we are honored to have served you. If not, we would like to earn the right to call you one!”

Reach Steve by phone: 425-344-4715 or email: steve@albertsen.com He is based out of the John L Scott Office located in Mill Creek Town Center.

Earthquake 101

April is Washington State Disaster Preparedness Month and as part of a state-wide campaign Mill Creek Library will host the Emergency Services Coordinating Agency [ESCA] as they offer a Community Disaster Preparedness presentation on Wed, April 27th 7 to 8PM. This is offered as an “Adult” program.

As of 2:30PM-Tuesday-April 26th, the Mill Creek Library website events page indicated there were still openings. Seating is limited, however, and you must pre-register. You can do so online by going to www.sno-isle.org and hovering over Events and Programs and clicking on Mill Creek in drop down menu.  Scan down the list and click on the title/link: Earthquake 101 where you can fill out the form. The direct number for the Mill Creek branch is 425-337-4822. Just remember time is running out to register and attend. Do tell.

The Emergency Services Coordination Agency  [ESCA] will be presenting. “Come Learn what to do. The ‘Someday’ when disaster strikes may be tomorrow.” “ESCA emergency managers will discuss family disaster preparedness from an all-hazards approach and recommend training and community involvement opportunities. The intent is to empower the audience . . . ”

Questions call: Dan Good 425-776-3722 or email dan@esca1.com

The information for this post was obtained from both the ESCA website www.esca1.com and the Sno-Isle Mill Creek Library website.

3 Mill Creek City Council Positions Open up

Mill Creek City Council meets tonight 4-26-2011 at 6:00PM.

It has been recently announced that three positions — #5, #6 and #7  [4 year terms]— on the Mill Creek City Council open up for election later this year.  Mill Creek is a City Council-Manager form of  government. Legislative and policy matters consistent with Washington State law and in the form of ordinances and resolutions are enacted by the City Council. The Council appoints a City Manager to execute these policies the Council develops. Do tell.

Duties include making policy for governance of the City of Mill Creek and its citizens, through participation on committees, boards & attendance at Council Meetings. Council meetings are held on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at the Mill Creek City Hall located at 15728 Main St in Mill Creek @6:00PM.

The filing period is June 6th -10th 2011. The filing fee is $60.00. Any citizen interested in running may obtain filing information from the Snohomish County Auditors office at 425-388-3444. To obtain more information on the duties of the positon you may call Kelly Chelin, the Mill Creek City Clerk. She can be reached at 425-745-1891

Also, on Thursday May 5th from 6-8PM, the Snohomish County Auditors Office is holding a candidate workshop for those interested in filing. The workshop will cover filing information, important election dates, the local voters’ pamphlet, and the Public Disclosure Commission in greater depth. For questions on this call: 425-388-3444.

Polaris: Shining soon at a library near you

Mill Creek Library along with all branches in the Sno-Isle System is excited about the transition to new Polaris system. And what is Polaris? It is the new Integrated Library System (ILS) and replaces the previous, outdated 20 year old online catalog system, and brings the Sno-Isle Library System, including Mill Creek, into the 21st Century. The cool thing is it can do so much more than the older system such as track books & other items owned by the library system, cardholder accounts, checked-out materials, holds and other behind the scenes processes.

For library patrons, you will find what you’re looking for more quickly, have the ability to save searches to your social networking sites, or set searches to run automatically so whenever a new item is added to the catalog that fits your search you can be notified. Also:

  • You can place holds.
  • Temporarily freeze holds without losing your place in line.
  • Set hold pickup location to default at your local [Mill Creek] library, or not.
  • See the number of copies the library owns or has on order, as well as the current number of holds on that item.
  • You will  be able to add your ratings and/or reviews and see what others library cardholders are saying.
  • Easily choose your own user name and password for online account access. I did it in about 2 minutes.
  • Receive hold and overdue notices via text message.
  • Keep a history of items you have checked out or opt not to.
  • You will be able to create other lists such as a “wish list” of books or other items you want to consider looking at, ordering in or checking out later.

While Polaris will be intuitive to use for those accustomed to using the Web in general, library staff are fully trained and available for on the spot help, and tip sheets will be available in the library and online. Tutorial videos and a Help section will be available on the website. In addition, hands-on classes Intro to Your New Online Library Catalog: Starring Polaris will be offered at the Mill Creek Library on the following Saturdays at 8:30 AM: April 23, 30 & May 21, 28.

If you can’t wait dive in right now at www.sno-isle.org/?ID=1202

There you will find all kinds of information about the library and the Sno-Isle Library System. If you are a current card holder click on My Accounts to get started. If you don’t have a library card you can go to your local library and apply for one and most likely receive it the same day. As of this writing, the online applications for cards is temporarily inaccessible while they are finishing the transition to Polaris, but is expected to be restored ASAP. Do tell.


Easter Egg Hunt for Teens

Friday April 15th the City of Mill Creek Parks and Recreation Department is hosting, and that means free, the second annual Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt! Teens from 6th to 12th grades are invited. It starts at 7:30 and goes until 8:00PM. There will be free candy and prizes. To participate you will need a signed waiver form, which you can download/print from the City of Mill Creek website, a flashlight and a bag for all the loot you collect.

So, it should be a lot of fun. Come to the Heatherwood Middle School Gymnasium located at 1419 Trillium Blvd SE in Mill Creek, Wa 98012. Don’t forget to bring the signed participation waiver!

Full details and the form can be found at www.cityofmillcreek.com The contact phone number is 425 • 745 • 1891

This event is supported by our great community sponsors: Mill Creek Youth Advisory Board, Azteca Restaurant, Boston’s Restaurant, Burgermaster, Central Market, Color Me Mine, Dairy Queen, Elle Marie Hair Studio, Feel Artistic, Fred Meyer, French Nails, Frida’s Mexican Restaurant, Garlic Jim’s, Great Clips, Lowes, McDonald’s, Papa Murphy’s, Patty’s Eggnest, QFC, Rite Aid, Safeway, Shari’s Restaurant, Skinny Dip Yogurt, Smart Eats, Staples, Starbuck’s, The Split End Salon, Subway and Top Pot Doughnuts.

Optical Reflections Presents Tom Ford Trunk Show

Optical Reflections, LLC will present the latest in eyewear and sunwear from Tom Ford at a Trunk Show/Happy Hour at Capri Ristorante Italiano on April 14th from 3:00-7:00PM. Appetizers will be provided. Enter to win a free Tom Ford Frame; you must be present to win. In addition, Optical Reflections will offer a 20% discount on frame and prescription lens ordered the day of the show.

Optical Reflections has been a part of the Mill Creek business community for over 25 years. Gale Hansen-Lindseth, LDO who has been in practice for 30 years, opened Optical Reflections in Imperial Gardens Shopping Center in 1985. Since then she and her staff have offered eye exams, contact lens fittings, and a wonderful selection of the latest in stylish frame designs.

As a customer for many years, I can attest to the fact that Gale takes a personal interest in finding just the right frame and and the best combination of the latest technologies in lenses. I have a high index which means glasses for me could be the proverbial “coke bottle bottoms.” Fortunately I can wear contacts, however this makes it all the more important to have good back-up glasses. I own several pair in case of an emergency. Gale and Jessica have always taken the time to find the best size and shape for me because while they have tons of choices, I have limitations on what works for me. I appreciate their honesty and trust their eye. I’ve never been disappointed. Gale always informs me of the latest innovations available to make the lenses as thin and light as possible. These options add to the price, but at least I know I have choices. Do tell.

Appointments are taken for eye exams and contact lens fittings. Emergency walk-ins are welcome. Eyewear dispensing and frame selection are available on a walk-in basis, however an appointment could save you time when they are busy with other clients. Shop hours are: M-F 9:30-6 Sat 10-2  Evening appointments are available.

Visit their website for more information: www.opticalreflectionsllc.com

16300 Mill Creek Boulevard #118 • Mill Creek, WA 98012 • 425-742-2900

Photo: Tom Ford Eyewear

 

 

Petcare Hospital & Wellness Center

Happy 17th Birthday to our little cat Jasmine! According to online sources, that is about 84-85 in human years. I swear, she doesn’t look a day over 8. Beside all of her human family and friends, I would say the most important person in her life is her veterinarian, Dr. Douglas Fraser, VMD — founding veterinarian of Petcare Hospital and Wellness Center located just off Seattle Hill Road in Mill Creek. He has seen her since she was just a kitten, giving her her first check-up and shots when she was about 8 weeks old.

Petcare SignSo, on this momentous occasion I decided to talk to Dr. Fraser about how he and his practice have grown and evolved right along with Jasmine. After practicing at another local veterinary office, he opened his own practice Petcare Hospital in the Gateway Shopping Center near Murphy’s Corner. We took Jaz in for her kitten check up at about eight weeks old, and I remember Dr. Fraser said he loved Tabbys and that she was the most beautiful little tabby he had ever seen. Well, of course I was the beaming “parent”. I admitted to myself, that he probably said that to all the tabbys (lol), but it spoke volumes to me about Dr. Fraser and his character. This is a vet who takes a very special interest in his patients. He took the time to make Jasmine and me, of course, feel special and know that he was really interested in her and “her family.”

Front of facility

When Dr. Fraser started Petcare he said that he planned to stay small to be able to keep a close personal contact with his patients, but it’s been a mixed blessing. On one hand to to hear that clients liked what he was doing for their animals and the word of mouth spread growing the business tremendously. On the other, to balance that with his passion to spend as much quality time with the owners as with their pets it became more difficult to manage, to keep that connection, to keep that ability to interact on a personal level. From a business standpoint it was a nice problem to have, but to Dr. Fraser, it is not all about business. It is about caring for the animals. So he built the current facility which was designed by wife Tammy. This allowed much more room for more veterinarians, support staff, the latest in equipment, exam rooms and luxe boarding suites for dogs and cats. Currently, the other doctor on staff is Dr. Meghan Yurenka.

Petcare Hospital and Wellness Center is a Veterinary General Practice, however they do bring in specialists for radiology, internal medicine, complex surgical procedures and oncology. Plus —> boarding, grooming, special diet pet foods and love.

Staff at Petcare
The staff at Petcare. Dr. Fraser on far Right.

Located: 4210-148th St SE  Mill Creek 98012  Phone: 425-337-5300                             Hours are:  MTWF  8-6  Thur 8-8  Sat 9-1 & Closed Sun

Additional thoughts from Dr. Fraser: “You’re planning, but it kind of took on a life of its own. The word of mouth, people are happy with what we do. We take care,  and what we do is for the right reasons. We love the animals. The staff here, I am blessed to be surrounded by all of them — the care they give the animals. I sort of live vicariously through the lives of the animals, they are like people’s kids. And now I am seeing parents’ kids coming in with their animals. And I’ve not gotten burned out. I just love the interaction with the animals and their families.”

Jaz has caught her share of birds and mice; she has survived a broken leg/hip, several kidney/bladder infections, a few cat fights, she has renal failure, and her thyroid is acting up, but she is still for the most part, a very happy, active, slightly spoiled cat. She enjoys sleeping in the sunny spots or on the heat register every chance she gets, loves her treats, and is a much loved member of our family. I thank Dr. Fraser and his staff for helping me keep her healthy and happy. I told him my memory of her first visit when he said she was the most beautiful tabby. His reply: “I’m obsessed with Tabbys.” Do tell.

 

Friends in Mill Creek Jewelers

Mill Creek JewelersIf  I’m ever in the market for a unique piece of jewelry, need an appraisal on a treasured piece or the battery dies in my watch, it’s nice to know I have local friends in the jewelry business.  Jerry and Donita Price have owned and operated the Mill Creek Jewelers in Mill Creek Plaza since 1991.  And it is since then that “. . . they have cherished their friendships with the community and enjoyed people stopping in as they are out running errands.” — From their website www.millcreekjewelers.com I think I can speak for the community when I say the feeling is mutual.

Jerry and Donita specialize in fine jewelry sales, jewelry repair, watch repair and custom design all with an emphasis on excellence in personalized customer service.

Some of the lines they carry are: Bulova, Hot Diamonds, Leo Ingwer, Lorenzo, and Jewelry Innovations. Through these prestigious vendors they offer fine jewelry such as diamonds, wedding bands, gold & silver bracelets/necklaces, watches, semi-precious colored gemstones, hand-blown glass and beautiful clocks.

They can accomplish all types of jewelry repair from changing out a watch battery & resetting stones. I’ve had them repair the clasp on my beloved  silver charm bracelet and add some new charms. On the subject of charms, they offer a vast selection and can handle special orders, too. Once, an even more beloved charm bracelet that belonged to my mother needed a good cleaning and soe minor repair to make it wearable. This piece, which is so special to me, was just like new again, thanks to Mill Creek Jewelers!

As for custom jewelry design and restyling, if you can imagine it they will work closely with you to make it a reality. I recently had them reset a diamond out of a ring into a beautiful pendant. Now it will spend less time in the safe deposit box. Do tell.

Mill Creek Jewelers is located in Mill Creek Plaza at 16306 Bothell-Everett Highway Mill Creek, WA 98012    Phone Number is: 425-745-5122                                                 Hours are: Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 10-5  Closed on Sundays

 

City Council Meeting

The Mill Creek City Council meets every 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesday Of the month at 6PM in the Mill Creek Council Chambers located at 15728 Main Street in Mill Creek, Washington.
That means the next meeting is tomorrow evening! The public is very much encouraged to come and participate in their local government.
For more information and links to city documents and agendas visit: www.cityofmillcreek.com