The regular meeting of the MC city council for 27 December has been cancelled due to holidays.

Here I sit wondering whether my surgery scheduled for Monday and Tuesday will be paid for by Medicare. Asked all involved.

Answer: No one knows, not providers, not Medicare, not my Congressman, no one. Certainly not tea-partiers, who don't care a whit for ordinary people.

Supposedly those fools got elected regarding concerns over money. Surprise! They're wolves in sheep's clothing wanting the same right-wing crapola that would have been perfectly acceptable to the old John Birchers.

Planned Parenthood funding is a ruse. It has nothing to do with saving money. It has nothing to do with abortions, which are already prohibited as a use of government funds. It's about getting know-nothings in charge of the government; to be precise, white, male, Christian know-nothings who watched TV westerns as boys and are longing for the 19th Century or at best Leave it to Beaver.

Graphic shows a Tea Party vanguard bearing their traditional symbol. Are you thrilled or horrified?

RC

Registration for Mill Creek Parks and Recreation spring/summer programs is currently underway. Recreation Guide is available on the City’s web site at www.cityofmillcreek.com. Registrations can be mailed, faxed or dropped off at City Hall (15728 Main Street), or visit http://activenet9.active.com/millcreek to register on line.

Guides are also available at City Hall, Mill Creek Library and in the Mill Creek Living Magazine. If you have any questions, please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at (425) 745-1891.

SEATTLE – If you've watched cable TV, you've likely seen celebrity attorney Robert Shapiro tout his company, LegalZoom, as a way to start businesses, patent inventions and create wills. "We put the law on your side,” he says.

But the Washington Attorney General's Office wants to be sure consumers aren't misled by LegalZoom's cost-saving claims.

"LegalZoom offers do-it-yourself legal documents online but can't provide you with legal advice or tell you which forms to fill out," Attorney General Rob McKenna said.

Under a settlement with the Attorney General's Office, LegalZoom can't compare its costs to attorneys' fees unless the company clearly discloses that its service isn't a substitute for a law firm.

Simply selling legal forms doesn't constitute the practice of law. LegalZoom can only provide an online form service that allows consumers to choose and complete their own legal documents, explained Consumer Protection Division Chief Doug Walsh.

The agreement filed today in Thurston County Superior Court also prohibits LegalZoom from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law, selling personal information obtained from Washington customers or misrepresenting the benefits of any estate distribution document.

Additionally, the agreement requires LegalZoom to ensure any forms sold to Washington consumers comply with local laws. Walsh said the Attorney General's Office was concerned LegalZoom's estate planning documents weren't sufficient for all Washington state residents. For example, the company doesn't offer a Community Property agreement form, a document commonly combined with a simple will in order to avoid probate when there is a surviving spouse. If consumers need individualized advice about estate planning legal documents, they are well advised to consult an attorney.

More Information

Wayfinding Signage Update - In response to concerns expressed by seniors and other citizens, the City recently installed “Mill Creek Senior Center” signs on Main Street to clearly direct vehicles and pedestrians to the Mill Creek Senior Center. Two signs were installed on Main Street; one for northbound traffic and the other for southbound traffic.

In addition, the wayfinding pole sign located at the intersection of Main Street and Mill Creek Boulevard (between the Post Office and Kindercare) has been modified to include larger, more easy-to-read directional panels. Staff had received comments from citizens, specifically members of the Arts & Beautification Board, that the signs were too small. To address this concern, the number of panels was reduced from four to three to allow for the larger panel size, and there is now a directional panel for the Mill Creek Senior Center located on the pole. Prior to proceeding with modifications to other similar signs throughout the city, staff is asking for feedback regarding whether or not the larger panel size meets community expectations.

Please contact Camille Chriest, Senior Planner, at 425-921-5726 or camillec@cityofmillcreek.com with any comments.

Mill Creek City Council will hold a public hearing at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28, 2010. The purpose of the hearing is to establish the Transportation Improvement Plan for the years 2011-2016.

DATE: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
PLACE: Mill Creek City Hall 15728 Main Street

Any person desiring to present testimony may do so at the above described meeting or may submit comments in writing to the City Clerk prior to such meeting.

Each year members of the City of Mill Creek's Art and Beautification Board tour the City and make note of those residents who have put exceptional time and effort into the beautification of their property. The Great Garden Award program gives awards across the City to deserving gardeners.

Boardmembers toured the City and took pictures of noteworthy properties and selected this year's winners of the Great Garden Award.

Each winner receives a keepsake and a yard sign placed in their yard for the month of August. Winners will also be recognized by the City Council at the regular council meeting on September 14, 2010.

The following is a list of the 2010 winners as determined by the Art and Beautification Board:

• Marvelyn Wolfkill – 2216 138th Pl SE – Cedar Crest Lane
  
• Charles & Audrey Diaz – 2422 157th Pl SE - Heatherstone
  
• Joseph & Deborah Twardoski – 14920 24th Ave SE - Fairway
  
• Donald & Linda Mamula – 15329 14th Dr SE - Aspen
  
• *Barb & Jordan Kostelyk - 15314 28th Dr SE - Parkside
  
• Jai Chun Kim – 14531 26th Dr SE - Huckleberry
  
• Donald & Victoria Atchley – 1925 144th St SE Vine Maple
  
• Van Duoc Le & Khiem Truong – 14627 36th Ave SE – Webster’s Pond
  
• William & Leah Collins – 3212 156th Pl SE – The Parks
  
• Kurt & Linda Horowitz – 15617 30th Ave SE – The Parks
  
• Randy Trettevik – 16315 26th Ave SE - Highlands
  
• Cahterine & James McDade – 3205 157th Pl SE – The Parks
  
• Reine Niemcziek – 16132 32nd Ave SE – The Parks
  
• Ron and Judy Gusa - 14528 3rd Drive SE – River Crossing

Mill Creek City Council will not hold any meetings (regular meetings or study sessions) in the month of August, 2010 unless further notice is given.

The next scheduled Council meeting is Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

The public is invited to attend a Japanese Floral Art show on Sunday, May 2nd from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Mill Creek City Hall Annex Building, 15720 Main Street. At 2 p.m. Yoshi Erickson will conduct a seminar on the key elements of the traditional art form. The show is free and will feature 30 floral arrangements by local artists.

The purpose of the floral art show is to entertain and educate the public about the art form known as Ikebana and to provide an opportunity for local artists to share their work.

Ikebana arrangements are made only from fresh plants, flowering trees, evergreens and natural materials and are a striking form of art. To understand Ikebana one must appreciate its structure, line, color and presentation. At 2:00 p.m., Yoshi Erickson, a resident of Mill Creek, will demonstrate and explain the principles and techniques used in Japanese flower arranging.

The new playground structure at the Library was installed on Wednesday and Thursday. Final inspection of the work has been completed. The playground has been re-opened for public use.

Mill Creek Today has activated new features in its reader network. Registered users can now use twitter-like Updates and post articles in their own Journals. Each user can also maintain a personal profile of interests, networking options and more.

While a reader is signed in, summaries of recent Updates and Journal posts will appear in summary with links to the individual member profiles.

Members can also sent private messages to other members.

As always, member contacts and communications are maintained confidentially for members only unless otherwise designated by the member.

Coming soon: Members will be able to link/embed their images and movies stored on other sites; designate other members as "friends" and create a personal directory of favorite sites. Watch the site for further announcements.

The City of Mill Creek is seeking a citizen-member of its Art/Beautification advisory board.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Art/Beautification advisory board shall serve as an advisory board to the City Council on matters that may be referred to the board by the City Council or the City Manager from time to time, including but not limited to:
1. Special events and projects to enhance the aesthetics and beauty within the residential and business areas of the City;
2. Utilization of the municipal art fund;
3. Selection, acquisition and placement of artwork for the City.
To the extent feasible, the board should be consulted during preliminary design and construction phases of municipal projects receiving municipal arts funding. The board shall develop a work program and associated budget for any projects involving or expected to involve the board every two years.

Requirements

• 1 vacancy expiring October 31, 2012
• 1 Member-at-Large Positions
• Meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 4:00 p.m.
• Must be a resident of Mill Creek

If interested in volunteering for this board, applicants should send a letter of interest to: Kelly M. Chelin, City of Mill Creek, 15728 Main Street, Mill Creek, WA 98012, or email kelly@cityofmillcreek.com.

OPEN UNTIL FILLED

For questions, please call Kelly M. Chelin directly at 425-921-5732.

The December 22, 2009 regular meeting of the Mill Creek City Council has been cancelled due to the Christmas Holiday. The next regularly-scheduled meeting of the Council is Tuesday, January 5, 2010.

Mill Creek City staff is beginning a review of the Parks and Open Space Element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The intent of the Parks and Open Space Element is to present goals and policies to guide acquisition, development and implementation of the City's Parks and Open Space program.

The Parks and Open Space Plan contains the Level of Service (LOS) Standards and Facility Guidelines for parks and open space facilities, a list of needed and proposed facilities, as well as implementation strategies.

The Comprehensive Plan was originally created utilizing an extensive public participation process to determine the Community’s goals and establish a set of policies to implement those goals. The intent of the current review is to evaluate the adopted goals and policies to ensure that they still reflect the Community’s vision.

A critical component of the process is a Parks and Open Space Needs Assessment Survey, which is intended to evaluate the Community’s priorities and identify areas of the Comprehensive Plan that require updating. We would appreciate your assistance in getting the word out and encouraging residents to visit the City's web site and take the survey to let us know what park, trail, and open space needs and issues are important to them.

The survey is available on the City’s web site (link below). A “Park Survey” button is on the right side of the City’s home page. Paper copies of the survey are available by calling Sherrie Ringstad at (425) 921-5717 or via email at sherrie@cityofmillcreek.com.

In addition, the City will be hosting an Open House on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. We would also like to let the public know they are invited to the Open House. This informal gathering will have displays showing current parks and open space facilities, information on issues regarding development of new facilities, copies of the survey will be available to fill out in person, and refreshments will be provided. The Parks and Recreation Board and staff will be on hand to answer questions and visit with you to get your ideas. The City is encouraging people to take this opportunity to find out about the City’s current plan, make their desires known and ensure that the City’s plan addresses their priorities. Survey responses will be invaluable in staff’s review of the Parks and Open Space Plan and will ensure that the Plan reflects the Community’s vision.

City Site

Work began this week on the citywide concrete repair and replacement project. The
first work area is at the corner of Village Green Drive and 148th Street SE, where a new 200-foot long sidewalk and crosswalk will be constructed to improve pedestrian safety.

The new sidewalk at 148th Street SE will be completed before Labor Day, and work on the overall project should be completed by the end of September.

There are approximately 70 other prioritized sites around the City to address areas of broken curb and sidewalk or upgrade sites to current ADA standards.